Kyoko's Secret
by kaitlynchosenisme
Summary: Kyoko's been working for LME for a while. things seem to finally be looking up. she's got a new manager (who turns out to be an old friend) and she's even got a new offer for a job... question though...why does that job have to be with Victoria's Secret? T to be safe. Chapter 4 is now posted! thanks for all your support! read, enjoy and review :)
1. Chapter 1

**Kyoko's Secret**

Hey everybody Kate here . So I was watching the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show with my roommates (it was fine up to Justin Beiber :p) when I got the inspiration for this story. Packed with drama, laughs and tension, and of course romance should be interesting ;) enjoy it!

I own no Skip Beat and I definitely don't own Victoria's Secret, hence the reason my name is Kate.

**Chapter 1: the offer of a lifetime**

Kyoko smiled as she walked down the halls of LME. Over the few months, she'd become more popular and was slowly rising to fame little by little day to day. Sure she was still in Love Me, but with her role of Natsu; and her "secret" mission as Setsuka, she was finding new doors were being opened. She clenched her fist in triumph,

"see this Father? It's happening just the way you said it would!"

Her body began to vibrate violently, and the people jumped in fear. She reached into her bag, and after rummaging in it for a little while, she pulled out a small pink phone,

"hello?"

She said, ignoring the murmers of "scary girl" that went on around her.

"bout time you knew how to answer a phone you know?"

A voice said from the other end. Kyoko froze.

"no way…is this?"

She started. The voice gave a chuckle and finished,

"yup. Now get your butt to the office. The President has some exciting news for you."

Kyoko was in the office the next second. Sebastian turned to her with a smile on his face,

" Kyoko-san. It's nice to see you. I'll announce you."

She gave a nod of thanks as he opened the golden, intricate doors. on the other side was the President who was playing a cowboy today. He wore a large bright pink shirt covered with white tassles. His long black hair hung behind him as a beautiful white ten gallon hat shaded his brown eyes. He climbed off of the large painted stallion he rode and opened his arms in exhuberant welcome to the girl

"ah Kyoko-chan. Nice to see you."

She gave a bow to the President, common with his weird cos-play practices.

"nice to see you too sir. I heard that you wanted to see me?"

She asked, her head still to the ground in respect. she heard a girlish laugh,

"you never change Kyoko."

She looked up with a start to see a young lithe woman with deep blue eyes staring back at her. Her ebony black hair hung in ringlets down to her shoulders and her thin, heart shaped face was covered by her red luscious full lips that were curled in a delicate smile. Her eyes sparked with mischievousness as she held her arms out,

"is that how you greet an old friend?"

Kyoko got up, almost in a trance. The President watched this with interest as the girl gave the young woman a bone crushing hug, tears falling from her golden/hazel eyes,

"Yori! It's so nice to see you! When did you get back in Japan? How long will you be here! Yori!"

The other woman, President guessed her name was Yori gave a kind smile. She gazed at the President, who took it as a cue,

"well Kyoko-chan, remember how I told you that you needed a manager?"

Kyoko nodded, still refusing to let the woman go. Yori let her thin hand fall on Kyoko's orange hair, patting her with affection.

"that's me Kyoko. Your new manager, Yori Matsua; at your service."

Kyoko let go and stared at her friend with shock. They stared at each other until the neighing of the horse broke them out of the stupor. Yori and Kyoko looked around as though just realizing that other people were there. The President gave a wry smile,

"yup. I think this manager will be good for you Kyoko-chan. Now shall I tell you of the new offers you've received?"

Kyoko nodded before Yori held up one slim hand.

"uh, pardon me Takarada-san. But I was curious to see if I could reveal mine first?"

Lory stared at her with shock,

"your first day as her manager and you've already gotten her an offer?"

Yori gave a smile as she stared at Kyoko,

"well, what kind of manager, or friend would I be if I didn't come prepared?"

Kyoko nodded and Lory turned to her and waved her to start. Yori took a big breath and turned to Kyoko,

"Kyoko. I have an offer for one of the biggest shows in America…and most of the world. Doing this one show could open millions of doors for you, and help you with your personal goals as well."

She gave a wink to Kyoko and Kyoko's eyes widened,

"really? This will let me beat him?"

Yori laughed and nodded,

"not just beat him, but make him grovel beneath your feet. And not just that, it'll help with your other goal."

Kyoko's eyes grew even wider, so much so that Lory was concerned that her eyes were going to make her fall over,

"I'll have a chance to co-star with him?"

Yori smiled,

"Kyoko, after this, you'll be able to co-star with him and anyone else you want."

Kyoko jumped in triumph, and though Lory didn't understand, he smiled seeing the young girl so excited,

"what's the offer?!"

She shouted. Yori shook her head with a laugh,

"you really haven't changed at all Kyoko. Let me give it to the President to see it first."

She pulled a manila folder from the drawstring bag she held over her shoulder. She handed the offer to the President, who was much more interested in watching the two girls before him. Nevertheless, he took the offer and begin to peruse through it, as Yori turned to Kyoko with an ecstatic smile,

"Kyoko! Tell me, what's been going on? I see you got a brand new phone! Tell me! I want details!"

The President watched as Kyoko gushed inspiringly to her friend. He watched the other girl as she laughed when Kyoko laughed, got closer when Kyoko was sad, and would encouragingly hug her when she needed it. the President was surprised. It was like this girl had known Kyoko her entire life; but…Kyoko said that she had no girlfriends when she was younger because of her affliation with Sho.

"so…how do you two know each other?"

He asked, trying to feign innocence to quench his dying want to know. Yori gave a laugh and turned to the President,

"when we were little, Kyoko, Sho and I used to all play together. We didn't know each other for very long, but…we were best friends. I was so sad when I had to move when I was only 7. It was the saddest day of my life to leave them behind."

The President watched as Yori's eyes clouded over with tears but she quickly blinked them back and turned to Kyoko who nodded enthusiastically,

"yes! Yori was always there to hang out with me and…**him**. When we learned she was moving, we were all sad. She was the only one that kept all the girls who bullied me off my back in elementary school. When she left, things just got worse."

Yori gathered the girl in her arms and held her tight,

"I'm sorry Kyoko. "

Kyoko bit back a sob and Yori smiled gently at her,

"but I'm here now. I'm going to protect you like I once did, and I'm going to make sure you're taken care of alright? In your career, and your life. I promise."

She stuck out her pinkie and entwined it with Kyoko, who gave her a bright smile,

"that I don't doubt Yori. You always kept your promises."

Yori gave her one more smile before turning to the President,

"so…what do you think of the offer?"

Lory was taken aback. The gentle girl that Yori was to Kyoko was gone, replaced by a stern, cold business woman. Her blue eyes shot through him, never leaving his brown ones and Lory tried to stop the blush of embarrassment he felt when he realized that he hadn't even taken a look at the offer yet. He stared at the first paragraph before turning to Yori, his brown eyes wide with shock,

"how did you get an offer for her like this?"

Yori gave a cunning smile,

"let's just say…I have my ways. So what do you think?"

"you do know this isn't an acting offer right?"

Yori nodded,

"which is why it would be her choice whether she says yes or no."

Lory flipped through a few more pages before his eyes went wider once more, Yori just gave a nod,

"if you're wondering. Yes, that's true."

Kyoko was getting annoyed at the hidden dialogue that was shared about her, but that she couldn't hear. Frustrated, she turned to Yori,

"do you have a copy of the offer Yori?"

She asked, delving into a little bit of Mio's confidence as she coldly talked to her. Yori was startled by her friend but nodded and pulled out a similar manila folder and handed it to her. Kyoko bowed in thanks and turned to Lory,

"may I read my offer?"

He gave a nod and saw the glare that Yori gave him behind her. It clearly said,

"_we need to talk alone!_"

As Kyoko sat down on a plush couch that was draped by a Navajo quilt, Lory gently took her wrist,

"would you mind reading it outside? Yori and I need to discuss some business."

Mio gave a sour nod and turned and glided through the door. As the door shut Yori turned to Lory with a glare on her face,

"I've known the girl… for most of my life. She **never **looked like that. What the hell was that?!"

Lory remained unfazed as he calmly replied,

"Mio. A character she plays in Dark Moon."

Yori gave a sigh of relief and lay a hand on her chest,

"a character. She was just playing a character."

She breathed to calm herself. Lory turned with fascination to the young woman,

'_she seems to be harboring something. There's something she's not telling me.'_

"so…" he started, breaking her out of her reverie,

"what makes you think you'll be up for this job? I told you her circumstances and you were determined to do it, what makes you think this job offer will do it?"

He walked back to his desk, his spurs on his boots clinking together. He watched the woman from under the brim of his hat. Yori turned to him, her blue eyes sparking with cunning,

"you told me that this girl has rejected love correct?"

He nodded, wondering where she was going with this,

"you also told me that one of your actors harbors a love for her right? Her sempai, I think you said he was?"

He nodded again, his mind working overtime to try and unravel the mystery behind this girl,

"if he is as you say, this offer will rattle him enough to open up to her. And I'll work on her as a family friend to get her to open back up to him."

He put a hand on his chin and stared at her, his brown eyes studying her face. He could clearly see a mask that she wore, but for the life of him, he couldn't read what lay beneath it,

"what makes you think you'll be able to? No one so far has been able to show this girl the blatant truth."

She smirked and flashed her eyes to the door, where her charge sat reading the offer with wide eyes,

"let's just say…I come with a slight advantage."

Lory could see the calculating gaze she held in her eyes. Whatever her plan, she had thought it through.

'_this girl is scary good.'_

He thought with a smile. He could see the similar attitude she held with Kyoko. Just like her, Yori was determined to make her goal. But the question that bothered Lory, was what her final intention?

"very well. she seemed to have a positive reaction around you, so I think you'll make the best manager for her. Now, what is it you want from me?"

Yori turned to him. she could almost hear a underlying tone, that was begging her to draw out her true motive, but she couldn't. not yet.. she wasn't ready. She turned to him with a cold gaze,

"your assurance. This plan will only work out the way I want, if the pieces move the way I want them to. I need your assurance that neither you, nor anyone else will interfere. The game can only be played the one way, to end the way both you and I wish."

Lory leaned forward as the woman watched him with a stern expression in her face. he smiled challengingly,

"and what is the end of the game?"

Yori returned the challenging smile with one of her own,

"does it matter? I told you it would end the way both **you** and I wish. What does it matter if an optional objective is different."

Lory remained quiet and the woman put her hands on the desk, leaning forward and continuing, her eyes going cold,

"I have my own reasons for why I'm doing this. I have my own score to settle with her. Rest assured, even if you do not make me her manager, I will. She and I do have one thing in common."

Lory crossed his hands together and watched her with interest,

"oh? And whats that?"

Yori leaned back and crossed her arms stubbornly, giving him a sly smile,

"when we set a goal, come hell or high water, we'll make it happen. I gave up a lot to come here, just to settle this goal. Do you think I'm going to let anyone stop me now?"

She smiled dangerously. Lory was shocked as a mirror image of Natsu showed up on Yori's face.

'_they are too alike, I wonder what her real relationship with her is?_'

He thought before staring down the young woman,

"you realize that as the President of LME and Mogami-kun's king and friend, I will make sure you don't hurt her."

Yori gave a gentle smile toward the President,

"believe me sir. The last thing I want to do is hurt her."

Lory could see the sincerity blossoming in her eyes. He was shocked to see as the mask faded for an instant and he got a glimpse into the girl behind it. he gave an inward smile,

'_interesting. Definitely interesting._'

"fine then. If I cant stop you, and you wont hurt her, I see no reason why I can't give you my assurance. I cant promise for anyone else of course; but I as the President of LME promise you, I will do nothing to interfere."

He wrote down a phone number and handed it to her,

"I do however request an update ever two weeks. And I hope you'll consider me as one of your pieces."

He turned with a gentle smile to Yori, who took the number with a shocked face. he gave a chuckle,

"we all want the real Kyoko Mogami to return. I want to see her love again and be truly happy for once."

Yori nodded and clenched her fists in determination,

"I will do my best to bring her back sir. She will love again. She will be happy again."

Lory laughed as she turned around and Yori felt a chill go down her spine as Lory offhandedly remarked,

"you know I'm talking about all kinds of love and happiness right? Not just romance."

Yori smiled, her back still to the President and thought quietly to herself,

'_I know…so was i.'_

Kyoko opened the manila folder as she closed the door behind her. She breathed out letting Mio's spirit drift out of her. Her face turned unbearably red as she remembered the look on Yori's face. pure fear.

"I cant go back in there right now, but I have to remember to apologize when she comes out. I can't believe I let Mio take over me again."

Her face turned even redder when she held the manila folder in her hands,

"should I read it? I only got it because of Mio…maybe I shouldn't read it?"

She massaged her hand over the cream colored dilemma, feeling the grooves of the paper in the folder.

"at the same time…I have it…it's my offer…why shouldn't I read it?"

She reached to open the tab when she had second thoughts once more. She drew her hand from the offer like a snake had bared it's fangs at her,

"but wait! What if I don't like this offer? What if it's horrible? Yori already said it wasn't really an acting job per se…but what if I don't like it at all? This could really help my goal and…"

"what could help your goal Mogami-san?"

She froze and turned around to see Ren smiling his bright smile at her. In an instant, all her insecurities fled her, in fact, her sanity fled her as a bright smile filled her face.

"good morning Tsuruga-san!"

She bowed her head deeply to hide the blush that was creeping up her cheeks.

Ren gave a gentle smile to the bowed girl, careful to not let her see the pure unbridled joy on his face. Yashiro stood next to him and smirked, motioning to his face. Ren quickly put up a professional mask,

"good morning Mogami-san. What are you doing here at the Presidents office?"

Kyoko lifted up her head to see Tsuruga's gentle smile. She gave an awkward smile,

"well, the President found me a manager and he wanted me to meet them."

Yashiro turned to Ren with a concerned expression, but Ren just gave a smile and asked,

"really? And who is your manager?"

Kyoko's face brightened and Ren had to keep himself from wrapping the girl in his arms,

'_why does she have to be so damn cute?!'_

He crossed his arms and watched her with an amused smile as she explained,

"it's Yori. She was a friend of mine when I was little. She moved away when she got older, I never thought I'd see her again and she shows up! Now she's my manager!"

Ren felt a cold chill run down his spine as he listened to the girl. This Yori sounded a lot like him. but…would Kyoko be this happy if she knew he was Corn? He pushed away the questions as he smiled back at her,

"that's good."

He knew Yashiro would make fun of him if he knew, but when Yashiro brought up the chance of a male manager for Kyoko, he'd been terrified that it would actually happen. Now that he learned it was a female, he could rest easy (even if this female had uncanny circumstances to him). Kyoko however missed that look of relief that crossed his face as she continued,

"yeah! She's a great manager already! Even got me a brand new offer! She said it's better than anything I've done so far!"

Ren smiled at her, his pride for her beaming on his face and washing away all his insecurities,

"that's great!"

Kyoko nodded, the familiar feeling of dread washing over her,

'_Re-I mean, Tsuruga-san thinks it's great. What would he say if he knew I was concerned about it?'_

She did her best to fake a smile of professionalism as she responded,

"yeah I know."

Ren studied her, he could see something else that she was thinking about, something was bothering her about the offer,

"Mogami-san? What's wrong?"

Kyoko felt a bucket of cold water drape over her,

'_he figured it out!_'

She tried to throw him off,

"nothing's wrong! Nope! Nothing wrong here!"

Ren could of course, see through this lie,

'_she never was a good liar._'

"Mogami-san?"

He asked, pulling in a little coldness. He didn't like it when she lied to him; it made him feel like she didn't trust him.

Kyoko could tell from the sound of his voice that he was upset. Rather than draw out the Demon King she lowered her head in embarrassment and cried loudly,

"Tsuruga-san. I'm scared of this offer."

He could hear the shaking in her voice. Fear for her and a little twinge of anger towards the manager he'd yet to meet coursed through him in a wave.

'_this girl better not be making Kyoko do anything she doesn't want to do.'_

He placed a hand comforting on her shoulder,

"Mogami-san, please look at me. What is sh-I mean, this offer making you do?"

'_I cant blame her manager. Not until I know for sure. Besides, she's her old friend…a good one hopefully, I can't blame her manager or I'll lose her for sure.'_

Kyoko blushed and looked up, her amber eyes meeting his soft brown ones,

"I don't know. Tsuruga-san, I've not read it yet. I'm too scared."

"why?"

She looked up to him with her amber eyes fearful and wide, before falling to her knees in depression,

"what if I'm not good enough?! This is a huge opportunity and I don't think I can do it! This is much more suited for a more experienced performer than me! I don't want to let anyone down!"

Ren shook his head with an amused smile on his face and took her hand and helped her up,

"that couldn't happen Mogami-san. You are very talented, I know that you can do anything you set your mind to. It's not about whether you're good enough for the offer, but if the offer is good enough for you."

Kyoko wasn't convinced, and the fact that Ren's brown eyes never left her amber ones made her very uncomfortable…in a good way…(which made her scared even more).

"but…I'm not that talented."

She said quietly. Ren turned to her and grasped her chin in his large hands and raised it up to force her to look at him. His voice was soft but firm and his eyes never left her face,

"Kyoko. You're a professional right?"

Kyoko nodded warily. Ren continued,

"as a professional, modesty is good, but if you're too modest to the point where you belittle yourself; you will not be able to give your fans all they deserve of you. You must believe every word that comes from your mouth. Do you understand?"

Kyoko tore her eyes from him and she played with her skirt nervously,

"but…I'm still a newbie. I don't think I'm so talented to get a great offer yet."

Ren gave an inward sigh. He never understood why this girl would bully herself so much. It hurt him to see her sad gold eyes that truly believed she wasn't good enough.

'_let's try a different approach_.'

"Mogami-san. I am your senpai right?"

Kyoko was once again trapped by his ever long gaze, she swallowed hard as her tongue played in her mouth and images flashed in her mind,

'_that look should be illegal! He's making me melt!_'

She shivered but found a way to nod. Ren smiled and continued,

"you trust what I say right Mogami-san?"

She nodded again, trying to bottle the feelings that were daring to rise up in her. She tried to look away but Ren caught it and pulled on her chin a little more, tilting her head up to look at him as his lips grew inches from hers. He gazed deep into her eyes and whispered softly, his lips brushing the tips of hers with his hot breath,

"then trust me when I say…you're very talented and beautiful."

He searched her face as her eyes widened. Her lips pouted forward as she whispered,

"oh."

That was his breaking point,

'_move away! Move away! You're too close!_'

They both shouted to themselves. But no one moved. Yashiro watched with interest, refraining from pulling out his phone. His eyes grew sparkly,

'_finally! I've been waiting for this for a long time!_'

Yori stood in the corner, watching with interest.

'_maybe I wont have to worry about the offer after all._'

But then she saw it. The pure unbridled fear in Kyoko's eyes. Ren saw it too and pulled away before placing his hands in his pockets,

"do you understand now Kyoko?"

She gave a stiff nod and repeated quietly,

"I am beautiful and talented."

Yori interjected,

"well, it's about time you knew that! If you didn't say it, I was going to."

Kyoko spun around and Ren did a double take. He thought for a second he was seeing a mirror image of Kyoko. The body, the height, the face was all the same. The only difference was the ebony black hair that hung to the girls shoulders in curls and the dark blue eyes that she wore on her face. Kyoko smiled and broke away from Ren,

"Yori! Is everything alright?!"

Yori laughed and nodded,

"yes Kyoko. I just had to talk to the President to discuss some business. Now that it's done…why not introduce me to your friends?"

Kyoko blushed and quickly responded,

"oh…well Yukihito Yashiro's my friend…he's the one in the glasses."

Yori smiled and bowed deeply,

"hello Yashiro-san."

Kyoko then continued,

"Ren Tsuruga's not really my friend per se…he's my sempai."

Ren smiled respectfully to the young woman as a pain arrow struck through his heart with the word "sempai." He regretted ever becoming her sempai because now they were never closer than that. He smiled professionally as Yori bowed deeply,

"well then, hello Tsuruga-sempai."

He returned the bow and replied,

"hello…you must be Mogami-san's manager…"

He held out a hand and Yori shook it with confidence brimming off of her,

"Yori Matsua."

Ren gave a small laugh and bowed once more,

"well then, hello Matsua-san."

He mimicked the young woman. Yori hid a smile as she watched out of the corner of her eye Kyoko's eyes grow wide. She could see the potential already. She figured that this was the actor that had fallen for her friend. Now to deploy the plan,

"so Kyoko, have you read the offer yet?"

She asked offhandedly. Kyoko blushed and shuffled her feet.

"no."

Yori feigned surprise as she asked,

"why?"

"well…" Kyoko began, a little embarrassed, "you're my manager, aren't you supposed to read it to me?"

Yori watched her and smiled before placing a hand on her shoulder,

"Kyoko. I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to be honest with me alright?"

Kyoko nodded,

"can you read?"

Kyoko was taken aback, as was Ren. What kind of question was that? Kyoko blushed and stared at her friend with heated eyes,

"yes."

She responded coldly. Ice fell on Yori's shoulders but she brushed it off and continued with a smile,

"then why would I need to read **your** offer?"

Kyoko wanted to respond, but found she couldn't! she stared at the girl incredulously before Yori laughed and smiled,

"if it makes you feel better you can read it aloud if you want."

Kyoko nodded and turned to Ren as though asking for permission. He gave a small smile, knowing in his heart that there was nothing he'd rather do than listen to her read right now. Yashiro watched her with wide eyes as she opened the manila folder. Yashiro, unable to hold the suspense called out,

"come on Kyoko-chan! What does it say?"

_Ms. Kyoko Mogami,_

_My name is David Daniels. My wife is the CEO of our store, which is the biggest store for women in America and in some places of the world. I'd like for you to model for us at the biggest fashion show we hold once a year on December 4__th __in Los Angeles California. I know this seems odd so let me explain._

_A few weeks ago, one of our models; (we call her Lily) told us that she quit. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but she quit when there was only 8 months left before the show. Please understand that the clothes we make for our models are designed to only fit them! We didn't know what we were going to do until we saw you. One of my daughters happened to watch Box R; when I saw you as Natsu I knew you had the ability to be a model. I later found pictures of you on your company's website and received your measurements. You are exactly the right height and weight for the clothes originally intended for Lily. _

_Here is our offer:_

_The fashion show is in 8 months. In those 8 months we would go to Japan to get pictures of you and do commercials of you wearing the clothes that were originally intended for Lily. _

_When the eighth month comes, a week before the fashion show, we will fly you out (all expense paid) to California (where the show is to take place this year) _

_Because we know you are new at this, we will personally train you so you can be the best you can be_

_All expenses are paid, all you have to do is be there!_

_We will pay you 10,000 U.S. Dollars for this show. That is normally what our new models get paid. _

_If you do an excellent job, we will make you one of our models permanently._

_If you decide you want this offer, please let me know at _

_xxx-xxx-xxxx_

_or_

_ddanielsvs _

_Thank you_

_David Daniels_

_President of Model/Talent Relations_

_David Daniels_

Kyoko was shocked as she finished. She read over the offer once, then again, and again. She turned to Yori who was smiling with glee at her,

"is this serious Yori? They want me to model?"

She asked quietly. Yori nodded,

"yup. As soon as I get your answer it can be real."

Kyoko was shocked. Ever since she had watched Ren model as his temporary manager, she always wanted to try it, it looked fun and now she had this chance,

"I'll do it." she said with a smile. Yori nodded and clapped her hands together,

"super! I'll tell them right away."

Kyoko bubbled with excitement as Yori called the phone number. She half-listened to Yori talking on the phone and turned to Ren who was positively beaming at her. Ren was so proud of his love. She had worked so hard and now because of it, she was getting the offer of a lifetime,

"Congratulations Mogami-san."

He said with a soft voice. Kyoko smiled back at him and Yashiro added,

"yes congratulations Kyoko-chan. You've earned it. If I may ask, what company? I know Tsuruga-san and I will want to watch you perform so, what's the company's name?"

He asked, pulling out a pen and notepad. Kyoko shrugged and Yori, who was watching her from the sidelines motioned for her to flip the page. When Kyoko stared at her like a deer in headlights, Yori rolled her eyes and covered the mouthpiece of the phone before whispering,

"their information's on the second page."

She said simply. Kyoko flipped it over and read the pink calligraphy carefully. She didn't recognize this company, but then again, they said they were mainly American. She squinted as she tried to remember if she had ever heard of them before when she heard Ren ask,

"Mogami-san? What's the company?"

Yori, who was still listening to the exhuberant glee of David on the other line, smiled slyly and turned to watch her friend expose the big news.

"Victoria's Secret."

Kyoko read. Yori stifled a laugh as Yashiro paled and turned to his client whose smile was gone, replaced by look of sheer shock and fear,

"what?"

He asked. Yori continued talking to David,

"yes sir. She's very excited and all in. She wants me to personally thank you for your generous offer, goodbye now sir."

She closed the phone and watched Ren with scrutiny; then she turned to Kyoko who smiled like she didn't understand what she had just agreed to. Yori gave a sly smile and pulled out a small notebook in her hand,

'_step one complete. She's in.'_

Kyoko's going to model for Victoria's Secret O.O I wonder how Ren will feel about that? ;) hey leave a comment or review below and I'll get back to you with a reply ^v^ I love reviews so I'll really appreciate it, thank you.

(by the way, don't try to email David Daniels, I made up the name and e-mail so I'm not quite sure who you would reach.)

-Kate


	2. Chapter 2

**Kyoko's Secret**

So first off, thanks for all the positive feedback and reviews that everyone gave me. I really appreciate it ^v^ Yori's a little bit of a cruel person :3 but that's what makes her fun. Besides, there's much more to this story then meets the eye ;).

Ren's in for a lot of strife though…Poor Ren.

Hope you all enjoy this next chapter

Don't own Skip Beat by the way

-Kate

***************************************VS*************************************

**Chapter 2: Ren VS Yori**

Ren trembled in shock as he tried to rearrange his face into a simple smile. He gave a cough and tried to speak, fighting to keep his voice from wavering.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that one more time?"

Kyoko turned to her sempai and Yori jumped in before she had a chance to respond, a smirk playing at Yori's lips,

"didn't you hear her? She said it was…"

Ren tried to keep from childishly covering his ears as Yori slowly enunciated the dreaded company name,

"Victoria's Secret."

A shriek resounded through the air. Yori swung her head toward the noise in shock as the man next to Ren was in tears grabbing the young manager by the shoulders and shaking her. Yori's head bobbled as the strange man shook her back and forth, crying out in large watery eyes,

"NO! POOR KYOKO'S INNOCENCE WILL BE LOST! SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO…"

Yori snapped and brought her hand over the managers mouth. She growled dangerously,

"I believe it was the President who said, anything this girl does she will excel at. I believe your client said the same thing. Am I to assume they're wrong and that Kyoko has no talent? I don't work with people that have no talent."

She stared at him with cold blue eyes. Yashiro's words froze in his mouth as he realized anything he said would affect the young woman standing just behind Yori. His eyes fixed on the orange-haired woman, that seemed to be nearly in tears,

"Yashiro-san?"

She asked. A pang rung through his heart at the sad chime in her voice and Yori's eyes fell dead before she grasped his shirt in her hand and tugged him closer, laying his head down in the crook of her neck and nape of her ebony hair,

" We don't want to hurt her. We're friends right?"

She whispered quietly in his ear. Yashiro could do nothing but nod, not wanting to break the fragile strand of trust he held with Kyoko. Yori smirked before whispering in his ear once again, her voice this time taking a much more playful tone,

"I'd suggest you let go of me now, before I call security on sexual harassment."

Yashiro was paralyzed with shock. If anyone saw them like this, it would certainly seem like Yashiro was monopolizing her. The way she had his shirt, it was almost like she was trying to pry him off. any similarities he thought previously she held with Kyoko, vanished. This girl was cruel, worse, she was clever.

Nevertheless, he released his hands from her shoulders and backed away, his eyes firmly locked on the ground to keep from meeting her demonic blue ones. Quietly he muttered.

"you're right. I'm sorry."

Ren stared in bewilderment at his manager. The only person Yashiro had ever apologized to was him (and it was only in the instance of Karaizawa). To get Yashiro to apologize to Yori…well that was quite a feat. Then he turned and saw Kyoko staring at the threesome with wide gold eyes. Ren had to turn away, her innocent gaze was just so cute. He assumed, she had been too preoccupied with her offer to see any of what had truly just happened.

"is everything okay?"

She asked. Ren turned to Yori and glared at her, dangerously challenging the conniving woman to say anything that had just occurred. Yori smiled a gentle smile, understanding Ren's unspoken threat and turned to her friend,

"of course Kyoko. I'll catch up with you in a minute okay? I think Tsuruga-san wants to speak with me."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow in question (and Ren hoped a little jealously) before Yori smiled and continued,

"well, I'm obviously taking care of his _beloved __**kuohai **_now so he probably just wants to give me some advice."

Ren didn't like the way she enunciated the word 'beloved' and how she stressed the word 'kouhai', but nevertheless, he gave a sparkling smile and looked at her,

"go ahead Kyoko. Don't you want to tell Kotonami-san about your new job?"

That lit up Kyoko's face. Both Ren and Yori smiled genuinely as the amusing young girl skipped off, a blur of bright pink singing,

"_I'm going to go see Moko-san…_"

Ren chuckled at her antics before turning to his manager,

"make sure she gets there safe. I'll catch up with you when I'm done here."

Yashiro nodded, understanding what was about to happen and swiveled his head to look at Yori one more time. Yori noticed this and placed one hand under her eye and stuck out her tongue playfully. Yashiro turned a little pale before turning to Ren, his body quietly trembling from a mixture of fear and anger,

"just Ren? Be careful. She seems a little odd."

Ren eyed the young woman and nodded to his manager, before Yashiro took off like a rocket following Kyoko. Yori chuckled, her arms crossed over her modest chest,

"you know, you guys don't have to be so wary of me. I don't bite…much."

She smirked in Ren's direction, who gave a glare at her, his dark nature starting to come forward with no witnesses around to see it.

"why'd you give her this job?"

Yori feigned an innocent gaze,

"what? I thought it would be the best opportunity for Kyoko-chan."

Ren growled and clenched his fists,

"no. that's not it. You had some other reason to do this."

Yori got closer, her blue eyes narrowed at him,

"and what, pray tell, is my ulterior motive? What could I possibly gain from letting Kyoko model for Victoria's Secret?"

Ren grit his teeth as he heard the foul name once more. A vision of Kyoko in wings and a pure white bra danced in his head…he cleared his head of thoughts and refocused on the woman in front of him,

"there are other ways to make her noticeable Matsua-san. Especially for an actress of her caliber."

Yori smiled and wagged a finger,

"but you know better than anyone Tsuruga-san. In order for an actor or actress to be popular, they need to be attractive. If she pulls this off, she's affirmed as one of their…"

He held out a hand to cut her off,

"don't say it!"

Yori smiled a twisted grin, enjoying the man's uncomfort and whispered as slowly as she could,

"Victoria Secret Angels."

Ren growled as more images emerged in his head. Even worse, were the images of all the male admirers she would have after this.

'_that's good for her career…but bad for me…'_

Then it hit him,

'_bad for me…_'

Yori noticed he was quiet, as though he was lost in thought. She turned to the empty hallway and casually remarked,

"well, if that's all you wanted to say, I guess I'll be going now."

She turned to leave when she heard Ren's voice echo in the quiet halls,

"you know don't you…"

She spun around and saw the look of genuine surprise on Ren's face. Yori had to stifle a smile, she didn't think this boring man could make an expression like that. Once again, she chose the more interesting route to feign ignorance,

'_actually I have no idea what you're talking about. But if you're so scared about "what I know" might as well use it to my advantage.'_

"know what Tsuruga-san?"

Ren glanced around the hall before beckoning her into one of the empty conference rooms. When the door was shut and the blinds were down, Ren turned to Yori, his voice trembling at the fear that this woman could know,

"you know I…how I feel about her right?"

A blush began to creep up his cheeks but Yori seemed unfazed as she flipped her hair and gave the same sly grin, hiding her true surprise beneath,

'_WHAAAT?! so that's it huh…I thought he seemed a little friendly with her. Hmm, I wonder if I could extort any more info about this.'_

"know it? I could practically see it! for an actor…sometimes you're not good at hiding emotions."

'_liar._'

She scolded herself. Even though the President had told her about it and shown her the videos, she never even believed it (the President was all about love anyway, and she never thought a man like Ren would fall for a pretty, yet odd girl like Kyoko). Now that she heard it from the source himself, she had no choice but to believe it. And looking at the man now, she wondered how she could've missed it.

'_well this certainly changes things. Looks like completing my mission will be more interesting than I thought with this new variable in the equation. For now, I have to let him still think I knew about it all along. If not, then the ball is in his court and his favor.'_

It wasn't about making herself believe her lie, but making him believe it. And she gave a little leap of joy in her mind as she saw that by his reaction? He did.

Ren's eyes were wide with shock, his hands drifting up to his face unconsciously

'_Yashiro told me my face gave away how I truly feel, did this girl happen to spot it?'_

She smiled amused at this man, whose thoughts seemed to now flow off his face whereas before, she couldn't understand I thing about him. She gave a dismissive shake of her head,

"don't worry. It wasn't your face that gave it away."

Ren turned to her and Yori pointed at her blue eyes,

"it's all in the eyes. Your face can hide everything, but the eyes of every person is honest."

'_which is why I cant look in yours, you'll know how much of a liar I am.'_

She thought sadly. But she hid that as she smiled and Ren felt a pang grip his heart,

'_if that's the case, why hasn't Kyoko seen the truth?'_

But he dismissed that thought and turned to Yori, more pressing matters were still at hand,

"so if you know, why are you doing this?"

Yori turned to him, her eyes were cold and dead as she stared at him, her face losing all trace of a smile, and becoming a stoic glare,

"for her. Everything I do is for her."

She grit her teeth as she thought,

'_everything is for her…everything. But she doesn't even…'_

She stopped as her face grew flushed and cleared her thoughts before she heard Ren ask,

"so if that's the case…why are you making her do something she's uncomfortable with?"

Even with such an innocent question, Yori felt a shot of guilt snap through her.

'_if she could learn any other way…tell me!_'

She screamed inside her mind. But she didn't say that. Her anger was too high, she childishly snapped,

"is it her that feels uncomfortable with it? she seemed pretty excited about it to me!"

Then she stopped and stared at Ren who was furiously staring at her. Yori's new revelation about Ren and her observation of his reaction to the news clicked inside her mind. Yori's eyes widened before quietly saying in a soft voice,

"it's not her that you're worried about is it?"

Ren's eyes widened and he tore his gaze from her. Yori's thoughts strung together and she finished quietly,

"it's the guys she's going to meet. You're uncomfortable with the fact that Kyoko is going to be standing on stage, in front of the entire world in nothing but a pair of angel wings and a…"

Ren covered her mouth before she could say anymore.

"don't say it."

Yori smirked with amusement at the blushing young man, before catching herself and rearranging her face, staring at him, her eyes dark and cold,

"you know. It's not like you have a right to be worried about that anyway."

Ren turned to her but Yori turned away from him, her face hidden from his sight. She continued in an antagonizing tone,

"it's not like you guys are dating or anything."

That sent a barbed spear through Ren's heart. He could almost feel any progress he had made with Kyoko slip through his fingertips with just this woman's words. He was speechless. There was nothing he could say that wouldn't sound like a confession or a horrible denial, which would only break his heart more. He could feel the control he had slipping from his grasp, and another side of him coming in to take over as his heart pounded with anger.

Yori could feel it too. In all her years of business, she knew when she had cornered someone and pushed them to their breaking point. She turned to leave when she heard Ren's voice echo through the dark room, in a low, dangerous undertone,

"what's it to you?"

She swung around and her eyes widened in shock. The man that was before her…was not Ren Tsuruga. He stood at a slumped posture, but still retained that elegance. His hair fell over his now shadowed eyes, so she couldn't read them anymore, and though she didn't want to admit it…that scared her. But she couldn't say that. So she took a deep breath and drew up a haughty smile,

"that sounds like a denial to me Tsuruga."

"Tsuruga" didn't answer. His mouth curved down in a larger frown then he already wore, his eyes still hidden behind the walls of brown hair that covered them.

"I could never deny how I feel about her."

Yori's eyes widened and she felt all power from her legs sap away as Ren glided up to her like a phantom. He towered over her, his much larger frame swallowing her small shadow. Even as tall as she was, she couldn't match his height. Yori tried to keep up her brave face as she glared challengingly at the actor, but she couldn't find the strength as the silent man before her continued to eerily glare at her with his shadowed eyes.

Fear, indignation, and a slight hint of jealousy crashed through Yori. She couldn't take the charade anymore. All the videos she had seen of the two people came spiraling through her mind. She couldn't help but remember her initial feelings when she saw them. The words came bursting through her chest, breaking the haunting silence,

"you don't accept how you feel about her either! Is she honestly like a toy that you can play with anytime you want?!"

Kuon was shaken by the blunt honesty and Ren was back in control, staring at the woman who stared up at him with clear blue eyes. She narrowed her brow in hatred as she growled,

"I wont let you treat her that way."

She stared at him, the silence echoing their thoughts. Ren quietly spoke, his brown eyes softening,

"do you honestly think I do that? I thought you knew how I felt about her."

Yori stared at him, her gaze never wavering,

"I can't believe you, even if I know how you feel I don't believe it. Not when I've seen the way you play around with her."

"When?"

"Many times."

Then it clicked. Ren stared at Yori's blue eyes, which hadn't left his face, still throwing daggers of hatred at him every second,

"how-how long have you been in Japan?"

Yori gave a cold grin,

"I've been in Japan, watching over Kyoko, for the past few months."

Ren paled. This girl had been around when Natsu was going on. This girl had been there when Valentines had happened. Trying to keep the hesitation from his voice, he asked,

"so you've seen everything?"

"Everything. It's my job to watch over her and make sure she's happy."

A pained smile came to her face and she repeated, just to herself,

'_that's right. Her happiness comes first. It must always be like this.'_

Ren was curious. This girl seemed like she said those words out of duty, not out of desire, and the look on her face seemed like she couldn't stand it,

"why? Why is that your job?"

He asked, trying to understand. Yori opened her mouth to speak before shutting it and glaring at him,

"I see no reason to tell you."

She sighed and closed her eyes briefly, before opening them and glaring at the actor,

"in any case, I'm done with you playing with her. I'm here now, I'll take care of her. You're no longer needed."

She turned to leave and felt a hand grasp around her wrist. She wrenched it from his grasp and saw his sad eyes staring back at her. She was shocked as guilt flooded through her.

"why are you so against me being with her?"

Yori was speechless and she began to stammer,

"you….you u-use her. That's why."

That irked Ren. The way she stated that like it was a fact. Like she knew it to be true and she knew his motives and reasons. He released her and gave a dry chuckle,

"how arrogant. You made that accusation by yourself. Did I ever once agree with you?"

Yori was frozen with anger. She hated being called arrogant. She couldn't stand this man in front of her. She coldly replied,

"words are just words. Actions prove them to be true. I don't need your agreement, because your actions have proven to me what I needed to know."

She came closer and growled in his ear, letting every spark of hatred for him show through,

"you. Use. Her."

She said softly. Ren clenched his fists, and clasped them one over the other to keep from hitting this arrogant woman. He turned to her and grit his teeth, retorting coldly,

"I don't."

The absolute certainty in his voice shook Yori to her core. She turned away from him and muttered,

"you wont leave? You wont stop hanging around her?"

Ren sighed and gave a small smile just to himself as he admitted what he always knew,

"Matsua-san, I couldn't leave her. I wouldn't be able to get through one day without seeing her. Whether you approve or not…I…I love her."

A pressure that had built on his chest had disappated. Those words had crashed inside of him for the longest time, now they were out. Granted, he'd rather them not be first said to this cruel woman, but…he couldn't help but feel the smile that crossed his face because of his admission.

Yori sighed as jealousy flooded her mind,

'_Kyoko doesn't realize how lucky she really is sometimes'_

her back was still towards Ren, and she held in her true emotions to keep from the bitter tears of jealousy from seeping out. Then her voice returned, cold and dark,

"I see. Then there's no other option."

She swung around towards him and gave a challenging smirk,

"then we're enemies."

Ren was surprised and astonished.

"huh?"

Yori gave a dark chuckle and turned from him, flipping her ebony hair over her shoulder,

"you wanted to know my ulterior motive for this right?"

She turned her head and wagged her finger in a taunt,

"it's to make sure you don't get Kyoko. So you better be prepared to fight for her. Because now that I know…I won't let you win her so easily."

"where do you have the right to say that?"

Ren asked, irritation and frustration boiling beneath the surface. Yori smirked and cocked her head in fake innocence,

"I see no reason to tell you."

Ren looked like he was about to say something else when Yori cut him off, looking at her phone,

"wow, looks like I gotta get out of here! We'll be late if we don't get out of here now."

Ren stopped and stared at the retreating woman, and as she turned to run down the hallway, he asked,

"wait, what are you going to be late for?"

Yori turned to him and gave a smirk and playful wink,

"Kyoko's underwear fitting, what else?"

She laughed as Ren's face paled and sprinted down the LME halls toward the Love Me room. Ren put a hand to his mouth as images danced in his head. Kyoko was posing in long white angel wings and pure white…he stopped there, his thoughts going much farther than any T story could illustrate. A blush grew up his cheeks and he tried to avoid looking at people as he sought out his manager, who was (hopefully) still with his young kuohai.

He swiftly (but still gracefully) walked down the marbled halls of LME before reaching the small corner of the Love Me room. he glanced down each of the halls, searching for the ebony haired vixen attempting to keep him away from Kyoko, when he didn't see her, he smiled and turned to walk in unaware of the trap that lay inside.

***********************************VS*****************************************

So same song

Same rule

Short or long

Leave a review

Thanks!

-Kate ^v^


	3. Chapter 3

**Kyoko's Secret**

First off, before I get into the story, I want to say thank you so much to all those who reviewed! As you know, I do a read, review I reply thing, but for the guests who I can't reply to but review all the same I want to give you a shout out, and give you the reply you rightfully deserve thanks so much for your reviews! All of you ya'll are the reason I do what I do. (Though you might want to give yourselves names for next time yeah? ;)

Guest (posted 1/12/13): I'm glad you're enjoying the story

Anonymous: Ha Ha, yeah, it's just as fun to write as you unravel the mystery huh?

Guest (posted 1/27/13): thanks for the compliment, it warms my heart that you think my work is good, more chapters are heading your way to be sure

Ndy: first off, kudos for the original name caught my eye to be certain. Yeah, I've been accused numerous times for torturing my poor characters, and I couldn't think of a torture for Ren worse than this…for now anyway…mwahahaha

Guest (posted 3/6/13): thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you like the plot I hope to keep it as entertaining and funny as you desire my friend. Well, if you're on a cliff hanger I guess I can't stop it now huh ;) I have the next chapter right here for you Enjoy! Don't worry, though I can't reply to you in a PM your message did reach me in all sincerity (hence the reason I'm replying here)

Guest (posted 3/7/13): I'll tell Yori you don't like her very much…she wants to talk to you…wait, Yori! Stop! Yori!

Yori: what I have planned for Kyoko is what I have planned. If you don't like me, then I guess I'll live with it…I have my own reasons…goodbye.

Sheesh, what a drama queen. Thanks so much for your review hun, and if Yori was mean to you just tell me, she's still my character, I'll knock her one good!

Guest: (posted 3/14/13): I'm glad you're enjoying the story thank you so much for your comment

/

As for my other reviews, (who I can reply to in a PM) I didn't forget about ya'll thanks so much to the following…

AdrienneSomni

Kitty.0

D'Cute

DataSeeker

Winter-ghost-20

Nannerlovessnickers

HinaNaru.

Avid-reader21

Cana 99

Ya'll make my day when I go online and I see your reviews, that goes for both the unknown and known, so thank you! Thanks to those that favorite and follow as well I appreciate you all!

Okay! Enough with that sappy stuff! I don't own Skip Beat or Victoria's Secret, but Yori is mine!

On with the story!

/

**Chapter 3: Wait…that Victoria's Secret?!**

Kyoko watched with wary eyes as her new manager Yori and Ren glared hatefully at one another. Uneasy feelings draped around the room between the four, and Kyoko didn't know what to do as she watched helplessly. Yashiro stood frozen, his face heatedly red. Kyoko didn't know what had happened…but in all likelihood, it was probably not good.

"Is everything okay?"

She asked softly, trying to break up the dark aura that was quickly increasing between the two combatants. For an instant, she thought she could see a sword in Yori's hand, her challenging smile and bright blue eyes sparkling with determination. At the same time, she could see another sword in Ren's hand, his dark eyes glaring with anger at the woman. At the sound of her voice, she saw Ren's visage flash to her before giving her the gentle smile she was used to.

'_At least it's not his lying smile_'

She thought hopefully. She saw his gaze flash right back to Yori, who turned to her with gentle blue eyes,

"Of course Kyoko."

She said in a calm tone. Then she smiled and continued,

"I'll catch up with you in a minute okay? I think Tsuruga-san wants to speak with me."

At the last statement, her eyes flashed back to Ren's, silently challenging him to deny it. Kyoko raised an eyebrow in curiosity as a flash of…something went through her. It was tightening in her stomach as she watched the two,

'_They have an atmosphere like I can't enter…wait! Why does that matter!'_

She thought, but she couldn't cease the painful lump in her stomach that said quietly,

'_I don't want him to meet her alone.'_

But it wasn't jealousy! Never jealousy! Whether Yori recognized it or not she gave a smile and continued,

"Well, I'm obviously taking care of his _beloved __**kuohai **_now so he probably just wants to give me some advice."

Kyoko gave a small sigh of relief as Ren nodded to affirm the statement,

'_She just wants some advice. It's nothing more than that. That's good.'_

She smiled as she thought of waiting with them. Maybe she'd learn more about herself in the process, but that comforting thought shattered and the violent pit in her stomach returned as her sempai continued,

"Go ahead Kyoko. Don't you want to tell Kotonami-san about your new job?"

Kyoko could see remnants of the dark gentleman's smile lurking behind Ren, and her grudge spirits were quick to rush to it,

"_Oooh, it tastes so yummy. The dark anger, the pure fury. SO YUMMY!"_

That was all the motivation Kyoko needed. She threw on the brightest smile she could and turned around, a rushing skip as she faked singing,

"_I'm going to go see Moko-san!"_

As soon as she was out of sight, she sprinted at full speed. Her face was set as she sprinted past Sawara in a blaze of pink. Sawara, seeing the dark shadow cleansed in pink that seemed to be mumbling to themselves. His face went pale and he fell to the ground,

"Don't kill me spirit!"

He shouted. As fast as it was there, it was gone. Sawara got up and glanced around before quickly sprinting off in the opposite direction, avoiding the haunting voice calling for Kotonami-san.

Kyoko ran through the bright pink door with the Love Me logo glittering outside, nearly phasing through it as she spun her orange head searching for her best friend,

"MOKO-SAN!"

Target found. She latched her body onto the actress who just flipped her ebony hair over her blaring pink uniform. Kanae stiffened and tried to dislodge the girl, who had just attached herself to her,

"MO! GET OFF!"

But Kyoko was relentless. She shook her head, burying her head into Kanae's stomach stubbornly,

"No! I just got the demon look from Tsuruga-san! No!"

Kanae could barely make out anything the young girl had mumbled into her stomach, but she caught the word "Tsuruga-san" and gave a sigh,

'_I should've known. He's the only one that can make her this nervous. Dang it! How can love have this much power over someone? Stupid!'_

She felt a surge of jealousy course through her. Jealous of Ren being the only one able to make Kyoko this nervous,

'_I'm her best friend after all.'_

Then another surge of jealousy went through her,

'_Why is it always Kyoko? Whether in acting or in love? Stupid!'_

She squashed those feelings though and turned to her friend, who peered at her with scared golden eyes,

"What do I do Moko-san?"

They pleaded desperately. Kanae groaned at her puppy dog look and couldn't help but to comfort her rival,

"Mo! How do you know it was for you?"

Kyoko stopped and thought. How did she know it was for her? Kanae, seeing the opening, continued,

"Was there anyone else there that might have made him mad?"

Suddenly Kyoko had a burst of inspiration. She turned to Kanae and slowly unwound her arms saying quietly,

"It might've been Yori."

Kanae stopped and stared at Kyoko who was deep in thought. Kanae didn't know a Yori. She wasn't in the Love Me group. Kyoko told her about all her jobs (except her dangerous Love Me mission) but she never heard of Yori.

"Who's Yori?"

She asked. Kyoko was shaken from her train of thought and turned to Kanae, a wide smile crossing her face,

"She's my new manager. Lory assigned her to me. She was one of my best friends when we were kids."

Kanae was mixed with emotions. On the one hand, she was happy for her friend. Kyoko had worked hard and deserved a manager. On the other, she was furiously jealous of her rival,

'_She got a manager before me! I'm going to have to speed up my progress as an actress._'

And she was just angry at the notion of her childhood best friend,

'_I thought Kyoko said she had no friends before me except for that jerk? Who's this Yori person trying to take the place in her heart that belongs to me?!'_

Kyoko talked on, oblivious to the inner fight Kanae was having with herself,

"Tsuruga-san seemed to get upset when Yori revealed my new job that she found for me."

Again a spasm of jealousy coursed through Kanae, and before she could stop herself the words poured out,

"She got you a job already?!"

Kyoko looked shocked at the outburst but nodded,

"Yeah. It's right here. I wanted to show it to you."

She handed the yellow manila folder to her friend, who took it with shaking hands. Kanae didn't know if she wanted to open it or not. If she did, and the offer was good…what would she do?

'_I can always beat her. There's not an acting job out there that I won't make it to one day.'_

But as her long fingers pulled out the white and pink paper, her face grew paler and paler, and in her mind she thought bitterly,

'_Any acting job can be topped…but this…_'

She read through the offer, her eyes growing wider and wider. Her mouth became dry and she whispered quietly,

"Are you serious about this Kyoko?"

Kyoko nodded,

"I've wanted to model for a while now Moko-san. Yori was able to find me a good place to start."

Kanae stifled a cold laugh, concern and jealousy rivaling itself inside her,

'_A good place to start? As if! This is the best opportunity for anyone! How'd this manager do it? Shoot!'_

She cursed inwardly as another wave of jealousy shot through her like a bullet. This time though, it was muddled with drops of concern as well,

'_Does Kyoko even know what she's getting into?'_

She stared at her friend, who watched her warily with large child-like golden eyes.

'_Such an innocent face…so why would she choose to do…__**this**__? Of all things! Kyoko…what are you thinking?'_

Kyoko lowered her head in shame as she saw her friend's shocked face. She whispered quietly as she picked at the frayed strands on her uniform,

"That's the same expression Tsuruga-san had…did I do something wrong?"

She didn't know she was heard. She was mumbling to herself. But Kanae, with her sharp senses, heard every word. Guilt and shame flooded her and she gave a comforting smile to her friend,

"This is really great Kyoko. I'm happy for you, really, but are you sure you want to work with **this **modeling company?"

Kyoko raised an eyebrow over her golden eye in curiosity,

"What's so wrong about Victoria's Secret? Why does everyone seem to be uncomfortable about me participating? Am I not talented enough to work with them? Is that why Tsuruga-san was upset?"

Her self-doubts returned with a vengeance and circled around her in small demons of Sho that chanted,

"_Plain, boring, unappealing woman. No sex appeal. You can't model."_

Kanae could see the aura around her friend becoming darker and in fear of what would happen (because with Kyoko you can never tell) and quickly shook her head, her eyes wide with fear as the dark aura began to crawl up her legs.

"It's not that you're not talented enough Kyoko. It's not because of you at all. It's _Victoria's Secret_ that I think Tsuruga-san is upset about! It's not you! It's the store! The store!"

The dark aura that was her friend muttered in the shadows,

"Why?"

The voice scared Kanae, and unable to hold it any longer she shouted with a bright red blush in her cheeks,

"IT'S A FEMALE STORE! FOR UNDERWEAR!"

Kyoko stopped. Her dark aura falling away, revealing the bright girl who had now grown pale. Her gold eyes were wide and her hands began to shake,

"What?"

Kanae, seeing that the dark aura was gone, continued,

"That's probably why Tsuruga-san was upset. I don't think he was mad at you. He's concerned for you…as a sempai," She added hastily, seeing the doubt beginning to gather in Kyoko's eyes at any notion of Ren's real feelings for her, "that this company may not be the best one for you to model for. Not because you can't, but because…"

Kanae saw her friend was growing paler and paler with every word. Her throat went dry and Kyoko said in a small voice finishing Kanae's sentence,

"It's a…a…_underwear_ store?"

Kanae couldn't say anything but just nodded. Kyoko's legs began to shake and she fell to the ground. Her head hit the ground in utter shock as she pounded her fists to the ground,

"Why? Why does this happen to me?! Why?"

That's what Kanae wanted to know. She stood to comfort her friend when a cold voice came from the doorway,

"To be honest, I was surprised when _you_ **accepted** it in the first place, _Kyoko_."

Kanae could hear the subtle emphasis on the words, you, accepted, and Kyoko, and she spun her head to see a tall ebon-haired vixen at the door. Her sleek grey suit reminded her of a snake's skin as it clung to each of the svelte woman's curves. Her bright blue eyes were slightly narrowed and glowed with bitter emotions as she leaned against the doorway, her mid back onyx hair flowing behind her like a reapers hood. At first glance, Kanae thought she was a cobra preparing to strike.

Stepping in front of Kyoko protectively (though in her mind it was because the only one allowed to scare her like that was her) she glared her own menacing glare with her grey eyes at the woman,

"I'm sorry this room is for our section only. Who are you?"

The woman looked taken aback for a second before a smile grew on her lips. Kanae felt chills go down her spine at the smile before the woman spoke with a smug voice,

"I thought you already knew who I was. I'm Yori, Kyoko's manager."

Kanae froze. This was the woman who got Kyoko into this mess! This was the woman who set her up with the deal of a lifetime! This was the supposed "childhood friend" that Kyoko loved as a sister! The woman who took Kanae's place in Kyoko's heart…Yori. Yori gave a wicked grin and continued,

"By the look on your face, I'm assuming you know who I am now."

Kanae growled and pushed a stunned Kyoko a little further behind her,

"Stay away from here! How could you do this to Kyoko?"

Yori seemed to think about that before grinning slyly,

"Do you want me to answer that or leave? I can only do one."

She gave a fake pout and Kanae growled before Yashiro burst in, unconsciously shoving Yori inside the Love Me room,

"Kyoko! You ran so fast I could barely keep up! ...what's going on here?"

Kanae growled and pointed a sharp hand towards Yori,

"Why don't you ask **her**…Miss Manager over there that likes to torture Kyoko?"

Yori stood up and brushed the dust off her grey suit, her blue eyes not meeting anyone else's,

"Why are you blaming me? I would never force Kyoko to do a job she didn't want to do. She accepted the job, not me."

At this point, Kyoko who had remained quiet and stunned at the revelation of what Victoria's Secret was, threw herself at Yori's feet at the shock of Kanae and Yashiro. The only one who didn't seem stunned at this, was Yori herself,

"You're right Yori! I'm so sorry! I didn't know I was accepting that! I'm so sorry."

Yori closed her eyes and looked like she was about to respond, when Kanae cut her off,

"Mo! You have nothing to apologize for! You didn't know what it was! She should've told you more! It's her fault as a manager!"

Yori narrowed her eyes and Yashiro nodded in agreement with Kanae, his grey eyes glaring at Yori through his rimmed glasses. If she noticed it, she made no sign but gave a deep sigh and pat Kyoko's head gently,

'_Why do you always take the blame for everything? It makes this so much harder.'_

She thought bitterly. She stood up and departed the room, without a word. Kanae, still angry, followed her. Yashiro seeing the stunned, and broken woman that lay in a dogeza on the floor couldn't help but feel a cold chill that swept through the room,

'_If Ren sees her like this…I'm dead. Deader than dead.'_

He gulped as he paled, seeing the lying smile of Ren Tsuruga come to mind and knelt down, gently taking the young girl's hand.

"Kyoko. Relax. Any contract can be pulled from. Even if you accepted the offer already it's always possible to pull out of it. So relax okay? I'll talk to Yori-san and see what we can do about it alright? So please smile?"

Kyoko peered up at him with bright gold eyes, which sparkled with pearl-like tears. Her small lithe hands clasped together and she stared with a half-smile at Yashiro,

"Really?"

Yashiro, amused by the girl's antics and adorable look nodded before chasing after after Kanae who was in pursuit Kyoko's new manager.

Kanae backed the girl she considered a black haired viper into a corner hall outside of the Love Me Room, glaring dangerously at her,

"What were you thinking giving a type of job like Victoria's Secret to Kyoko?! Are you psychotic?! Even as a new manager, to give an **actress** a **modeling** job is outrageous!"

Yori stared at her before crossing her arms with a smug grin,

"Kyoko's resume that I looked at said she was specifically a **talent**. Meaning, she can do anything and everything. She also said on her resume that she wanted to be better than Sho Fuwa and be on par with Ren Tsuruga. This offer will do her just that don't you think?"

Kanae was struck soundless, her mouth gaping open like a fish. Yori stared at her with ice blue eyes and her smug smile became a wicked smirk,

"What? Did you think that I did this just to torture her?"

Kanae's silence betrayed her. Yori chuckled and continued,

"While I admit that my amusement is part of the reason; I am a professional. I gave Kyoko the offer because I knew she could do it. More importantly, they at Victoria's Secret know she can do it."

Kanae grew silent, and Yori let her smile fall before delivering the final clincher,

"And deep down, you're afraid because **you** know she can do it."

Kanae looked up in shock and was about to rebuttal when Yori cut her off with a dark grin and wicked chuckle,

"Please. Do you think I'm blind? Kyoko and I may look similar and in some cases act similar, but in observation, I top her easily. I'm not like her, willfully oblivious to everything around me to keep things in a fantasy. I notice things about people. The cruelness of kindness, the methods beyond just helping a person; I know it all and studied it all. Do you think I didn't notice that flash of jealousy that your eyes sparked with when you saw the offer?"

Kanae could feel the fear and anger beginning to creep down her spine. Surely, this girl wasn't human.

"What are you talking about?! Why would I be jealous of Kyoko?"

Yori chuckled darkly, her blue eyes not leaving Kanae's,

"Don't insult me Kanae-chan."

Kanae gulped. Yori, happy by this reaction continued,

"Let me ask you something _Moko-san_."

Kanae looked up in shock at the sound of the nickname. Only Kyoko called her that, and only when they were alone…how could this girl know? Yori, seeing Kanae's full attention on her twisted her mouth into a cruel grin as she crossed her arms,

"When you ask me to pull Kyoko out of this offer, who is it really for? Her…or…**you**?"

Kanae was stunned by the woman's words. Completely made speechless. What could she say? If she said it was for her, she'd have to admit to Yori (and herself) that she really was friends and cared about the girl that lay just beyond that door. But if she didn't…then were her actions any better than Erica's? She could feel a dark pool of cold darkness beginning to drench her body, climbing up the pink jumpsuit and sinking into her pale thin legs. Her arms were tied to her sides and she found herself unable to move. She could feel it crawling up her body and Yori just stood there, smiling wickedly as she watched Kanae's struggle. As Kanae was about to go under, God sent a person to pull her from the darkness. Yashiro Yukihito stood in front of Kanae, defending her against the wicked woman.

"Yori! What did you do?"

Yori looked taken aback for a moment before letting a smile glide onto her features,

"Nothing. I just asked Kanae-chan a question."

Yashiro turned his attention on the shell-shocked woman that trembled now, still fighting the darkness that threatened to overcome her. Her classmate's harsh words returned with a vengeance on her that bounced around. She saw Erica, smiling smugly in her highschool,

"_Kanae, did you honestly think you could beat me? It's better for you to be in the background anyway. If you were center stage, people would just make fun of the 'girl from endless kids' I did it for you."_

'_Am I really like her?'_

Kanae thought, clenching her fists uncontrollably as thoughts raced in her head,

'_I'm not like her. I want to be better than her.'_

Yashiro felt helpless seeing the girl like this. Yori just stood over, watching the girl struggle with a smile. Yashiro hated that smile, that smug winning smile and cold eyes. Letting out a sigh, he wrapped his arms around the woman gently. Kanae flinched under his touch as he tucked her beneath his chin,

"Kanae. Calm down. Relax."

That didn't help. The girl trembled even more in his embrace and he cringed hearing the soft sobs beginning to choke in her throat. He wrapped her even tighter and letting all thought leave him, he just spoke softly to the young frightened woman.

"You are talented Kanae. You have a good heart. Kyoko loves you and trusts you. You are strong and beautiful. You can do anything you set your mind to. Don't let an insecure bully of a woman get you down. You're better than that. I'm going to hold you here until you can calm down okay?"

Yori was stunned. Her bright red mouth dropped to her chin in shock. Her blue eyes were wide and envious as she watched the handsome manager wrap the girl tighter in his arms.

'_Why? Why do girls like these have everything? Why do girls like me mean nothing but a road sign to pass to them? Why does it work like this?'_

She could feel the sting of tears begin to burn her face. She shook her head quickly, shaking those thoughts from her mind,

'_No! All I do is for her! I just have to make her happy then I'm free! Stay focused Yori! Don't let these saps drag you down!'_

With that, her cold smile returned and she snickered before her phone went off. She glared down at the device and turned to Kanae who was blushing now, realizing where she was. She gave an amused smile and couldn't help but remark,

"Well, you two look busy and I don't like being a third wheel so I'll leave. Oh and Kanae-chan?"

Kanae flinched at the high sweet tone she heard Yori say her name with,

"Think about what I said."

Her high heels receded from the hallway and the clouds in Kanae's mind began to disperse as her blushing increased.

"Mo! Why are you touching me Glasses-kun! Should I call for sexual harassment? Mo! Let go!"

Yashiro concealed a blush as he let the woman go. Her face was a little tearstained, but not too badly, and her eyes were a little red and puffy, but nothing that a coat of powder foundation couldn't fix. Hearing the way she shouted _sexual harassment_ however, caused his ears to go bright red and he shouted back,

"You were the one who hugged me! That's equal consent!"

Kanae misunderstanding responded,

"Are you saying you want to do _that_ to me?!"

Yashiro, blushing stuttered,

"o-of course not!"

Kanae blushed furiously as a pang of hurt crossed her chest,

'_Chest pain_'

She concluded it to be as she yelled back,

"Well good! Because you're the last person I want to do _it_ with too!"

_Pang!_ Yashiro clenched his chest and did all he could to keep from his face falling (unlike Kanae, he knew what this "chest pain" was). The silence overwhelmed the feuding duo, and Yashiro coughed after a moment and said quietly, his face going back in a blush,

"Are you sure you're alright now?"

Kanae felt a blush heat her whole face and she turned it away from Yashiro to keep him from seeing it,

'_Not because I like him! It's not that!'_

She said quietly, her voice coming out softer than she intended,

"Mo! I already told you I was fine. Knock it off!"

Yashiro suppressed a smile and thought to himself,

'_That's the Kanae I know.'_

Though he didn't know why that pang of hurt had crossed his chest, nor to why he had held the woman tighter, he had to admit, it felt really nice. He turned from her so she wouldn't see his soft smile and coughed once more,

"We should get back. Kyoko-chan's probably worried about us."

Kanae looked up before narrowing her eyes at the thought of Kyoko doing Victoria's Secret

'_I'm not jealous. I'm worried about her.'_

"What about what Yori is making Kyoko do? We have to get her to change her…"

Yashiro cut her off, his grey eyes cold as he thought of the deceptive woman,

"No matter how we plead and beg Yori won't pull Kyoko out of the contract. She seems set to have Kyoko do this job. Kyoko could pull herself out, if she had the confidence and wasn't worried about hurting their feelings. Not to mention that if we did anything to pull her out of it, she'd think it was her fault she wasn't good enough."

Kanae retorted, following Yashiro down the hall,

"But it's Victoria's Secret! Did you see the way she looked when she found out what it was? And what if Sho or that other guy caught wind of her doing it?"

Yashiro turned to Kanae and for a moment, his eyes softened and he whispered,

"That's what I'm worried about Kan-Kotonami-san."

They were silent as they filed down the hall to the Love Me room. Oddly enough, the door was open. Feeling a rush of fear they sprinted the remaining way to stop at the doorway. There, sitting on the floor, was Kyoko, curled up tightly in Ren's embrace as he held her close. His back shielded the girl, only allowing the two new intruders a glimpse of her bright orange hair that played and curled around Ren's biceps. Swallowing his urge to tease his young charge he turned to Kanae, and just as he was about to say something, her soft voice filled his ears,

"You know. Even with her doing Victoria's Secret. As much as I hate to admit it, if anyone can protect her from this and keep her safe…he can."

She looked up at Yashiro with a challenging glare and stared at him, her grey eyes penetrating his grey ones,

"So you better make sure your boy does nothing stupid to hurt her! She's going to need him when she does this."

Yashiro was shocked but could do nothing but nod and humbly reply,

"I will."

Kanae saw the honesty in his eyes and a blush began to cross her face as she realized how nice they looked. She turned from him and mumbled,

"good. I'm counting on you Yashiro-kun."

Yashiro was stunned by the fact that Kanae had just used his real name and thought softly to himself,

'_I wont let you down…Kanae._'

Then the two just left the couple within their embrace. Back in the hallway, Yori grumbled as she talked on her phone,

"Shut up. I told you I was done. D-o-n-e. Done. I told you at the beginning I wouldn't be staying. So why you're trying to 'win' me back now is pointless."

The voice on the phone responded,

"I know you quit, but it was the biggest opportunity of your life and you seemed to love to do it! Why would you abandon it?"

At that question, Yori's smile grew cold and tears began to prick her eyes. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her skin painfully as she responded,

"I had to do something and working with you guys was getting in the way of it. I quit so I could pursue what I need to do."

The voice grew quiet before softly whispering,

"Hey, is this about your parents again?"

Yori felt a sharp knife run across her chest and she clenched at it,

"It always is."

Was all she responded with. The voice on the other side gave a sigh and the sound of a paper flying was heard,

"This is the girl right? The one you've chosen as your replacement? Kyoko Mogami?"

Yori affirmed it, trying not to bite her lip too hard.

"Yes. She's my replacement."

A stifled chuckle was heard and she heard another voice say,

"She looks like a kid! Like a juvenile kid! Come on Lily, tell me this is just some prank set up by you?"

Yori nodded and growled,

"Don't make fun of her. I'm well aware of what she looks like."

Then her smile grew wider and her eyes became smug and cruel with amusement,

"This is for my entertainment though. That I will say. Either way, I know this girl will work well for you. For all of Victoria's Secret. You'll be proud."

The voice was hesitant on the other end, hearing Yori's voice grow a tone that she only used when she had some wicked plan,

"I don't know Lily…"

Before they could say anymore, Yori cut them off,

"Listen. It's my replacement and I even took the liberty to find her for you. If you don't like her after today then of course you can fire her, but let me ask you something. Can you really afford to hold auditions for a new Angel this late in the season?"

Their silence was their answer. Yori smiled, knowing she had won and continued,

"That's what I thought. I'll be bringing her by for the fitting today and to try some poses and such."

The voice on the other end sighed and Yori could almost see him running his long fingers through his hair,

"Alright Lily. We'll play it your way. Is she going to want an alias name as well like you did when you first started?"

Yori's wicked smile grew wider,

"Yes."

The man on the other end finally cracked a smile, hearing his favorite Angel become a little happier (although he didn't know why)

"And as her manager you can choose the name?"

Yori nodded and responded,

"She's fragile and delicate. She's prim and proper. She's like a princess and a flower. So give her the name Rose, the ultimate royal flower."

She heard the man scribbling something down and he smiled,

"Good. We can work with that name. So the newest model for Victoria's Secret and Lily's replacement in the show is…"

Yori finished it as she stood in the doorway watching the couple with a sickening glance,

"Kyoko 'Rose' Mogami."

Then she hung up the phone.

So I'm sure you all want to know why Ren and Kyoko are holding each other huh? Well it happened during Kanae's conflict with Yori and all will be explained next chapter I just thought I'd move in on Kanae's relationship with Kyoko. So what do yall think? Give me a review or send me a PM and I'll respond as soon as I can ^v^

-Kate


	4. Chapter 4

**Kyoko's Secret**

Hey ya'll, I will say this as many times as I can before ya'll get annoyed (and even then I'll probably still continue) thank you! So much! You all really rock! Thank you for taking the time to read and review my stories I appreciate it so much! You all are so amazing! ^v^

So as for my guests, whom I wish I could email but alas cannot, I have given you your replies to your reviews here! (and I love all of them so all of you get a thank you and an virtual hug and kiss from me!)

**Jeremy VD**: dude, first off you rock! I've always looked forward to you reading it because I can always count on your review, so thank you soo much! Now on to your reply, Reino, the Beagle being involved in this? And Shotaro? Hmm…now that's an idea (wicked grin). You bring up a valid point my friend, and an interesting idea (rubs hands together in wicked glee). Mwahahaha!

**Muchachomomo:** well I hope I can continue to impress. You're catching on my friend. Yori actually is a lot like Ren, now the question is, can you figure out how and why? ;) do you think Yori's pulling Kyoko into a mess? You may be surprised ^v^. hope you enjoy this chapter too, because I love it when you review

**Little Dango:** your name is so cool first off . Next, your wish is my command oh Master (waves hands) behold! A new chapter lies just beyond this message enjoy! Love you too! Thanks so much for the review!

**Ndy:** aww, thank you for the complement ;) you think I'm cruel now, just wait to see what I've got planned for them next ^v^ mwahahahaha! As for the sister…well you never know ;) thanks so much for your review! I hope you like this chapter as well

**Guest (6/5/13):** well, you don't have to wait any longer! Here's a new one just for you!

Now as for all my members that review! Here is a shout out to all of you (and I know I've been behind on my messaging, my computer's mean sometimes ) hope I can satisfy here though:

**Judy 1998: **Welcome first off! Thanks for reading my story, it's nice to meet you (yes I consider a review like a handshake) ;) I hope you like this chapter!

** .HinaNaru: **always such a good friend and always good to hear from you keep rocking on your story (if any of ya'll read this, you should go check it out, it's really good!) I hurried and worked and now here it is I hope you like it!

**Cana99:** well actually, Yori is Lily Kyoko is Rose ^v^ sorry if I didn't do a good job of clarifying that. Hopefully this one's a little better thanks so much for your review! I really appreciate it ^v^

**Data Seeker:** My Debate friend and theology discusser, thanks so much for your review. I tried to interpret the paragraphs I used in Tangled (you liked those) so hopefully you'll see I still don't need a Beta Reader but thanks for the suggestion and review! I'll try to keep it as clean as I can

**Darksilvercloud:** she does sound really twisted doesn't she? I tend to make a lot of twisted characters. And man, you're getting close! I can't say anything for certain, but you are close to figuring out her identity (any chance you're like a detective or something?) yeah…Kyoko won't be happy when she learns she's a replacement…I'm trying to avoid talking about that as much as I can right now ^v^ thanks so much for your review!

**Avid reader 21:** haven't you learned? All of Kyoko's childhood was twisted ;) I'm just adding a new element to make it interesting. I'm going to explain what her issues are, but you never know, darksilvercloud may figure it out first O.O I promise though she's not cruel for no reason. Maybe you'll see a new side of her here in this chapter ;) thanks so much for your review! You're awesome!

**Nannerslovessnickers**: it's his jealousy, that makes writing this story so fun I hope you like this chapter too! (no jealous Ren, I'm sorry, but there is a really cute moment between him and Kyoko!) ^v^

**JCB13**: ah sorry can't tell you that, but if you read on, I promise you'll find out ^v^. and thank you, I worked hard to figure out what Kyoko's reaction would be ^v^

So newsflash, I'm very weird. I spend my summers writing stories and fanfictions when I'm not babysitting. However, there is another weird aspect of me. I love reviews! I'm serious! I love them! Even if they tell me I suck and I'm horrible and I never should be writing, I love them! So please, for my sanity leave me a review I promise I'll respond either through a PM or on the next chapter of my story but they are extremely important to me. Thanks a bunch!

Oh by the way, I do not own Skip Beat (though it would be interesting to see Yori in it huh) ;)

-Kate

*************************************VS*********** ***************************

Yori was stunned as she observed the two on the floor. They seemed to be in their own little world that she could not penetrate. A pang of jealousy ran across her chest as she observed them.

'_why does this only happen to her? Why is it always Kyoko? Damn it! I won't let it happen! I can't let it happen!'_

Her resolve was steeled as she coughed and tapped Kyoko on the shoulder, "um Kyoko? Do you think you could unlatch yourself from your _sempai_ so we can leave? If not you're going to be late."

Kyoko's eyes widened and a blush flew across her cheeks as she spun around and bowed deeply, her face buried in the ground as she apologized, "Yori! I'm so sorry! I guess Setsu was caught up in my personality again! I'm so sorry!"

Yori felt a little guilty at hearing the young girl sob, and though she had no clue about who Setsu was, knew by looking at the blush that was slowly growing deeper on her face, that "Setsu" probably wasn't the cause. She turned her back to Kyoko to keep her from seeing the blatant anger and jealously that burned in Yori's eyes.

"whatever. Look, let's just go. My car's out front."

Ren was taken aback and he clenched Kyoko's arm, pulling her away from the young woman.

"**your car?**"

Yori smiled and dug into her drawstring satchel that hung over her back. she smiled as she fished out a small set of keys and waved it in front of Ren's face.

"yes. my car. I'm one year older than Kyoko you know. I'm of legal age to drive."

she smiled and Kyoko's eyes went starry as she released her grip from Ren's arm and ran over to Yori, "you're amazing! you even have your own car! you are incredible Yori!"

Yori blushed and she waved it off, "yeah, well, I had to get an international driving permit this year, but once we finish up in America, I'll be taking the test so I can get a real license. for now though, it works for where we need to go. So get your bag Kyoko, we need to meet with the image consultants."

Kyoko gathered her bag and stopped before turning to Yori, "image consultants?"

Yori nodded, trying not to chuckle at Kyoko's naïve innocence, "yes. In order for you to model as an Angel, they need to give you an image." At Kyoko's worried face, she laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder, "don't worry. You'll be fine. Come on."

She shepherded Kyoko out the door and saw Ren's stunned face. She gave a wicked grin, "you know, I've been thinking. I'm Kyoko's manager, I help her with her jobs, and now…I'm her ride everywhere. Thinking like that, it's like…you aren't needed at all."

Ren clenched his fists as Yori left the room. Yashiro who heard every biting word after returning from Kanae, growled, "I really hate that woman." Then he turned to Ren and slapped him in the shoulder. That shook Ren from his frozen anger and he swung towards his meddling manager, "OW! What the hell was that for?" he slapped his manager in the shoulder but Yashiro just rubbed his arm and glared back at Ren, "aren't you going to stop her? You do realize that she could convince Kyoko to hate you right?"

Ren shook his head and gave a smile, "no. she won't."

Yashiro stopped and stared in wonder, "huh?"

Ren gave a smile making Yashiro wonder, what could've happened between the two of them?

*************************************VS*********** ****************************

Yori was curious of the exact same thing. Kyoko was quiet, and while it was nice to not hear the young girl incessant prattling; it was unnerving as the girl gave a wide grin and her glassy eyes sparkled. "uh, Kyoko? What's going on?"

Kyoko turned to Yori as she opened the door to the parking garage, "huh?"

Yori blushed, "well, you just seem…really happy for some odd reason."

Kyoko's face turned red, "oh I do? Is it uncomfortable? I'm so sorry!"

Yori rolled her eyes, same old Kyoko, "you're fine! Sheesh, I just want to know what made you so happy."

By now, the two had reached Yori's purple Mazda 1.6 and Kyoko gushed over the small beautiful car. "this is incredible Yori! Where did you get this car? It's amazing! It's almost like Tsuruga-sans, but his is a little bigger."

Yori grimaced, "I see. Well, if you don't mind sliding into my incredibly small car, then we can go."

Kyoko could hear the cold sarcasm in her tone and cringed before bowing deeply, "no! Yori I'm so sorry! That wasn't my intention at all! I'm such a horrible person!"

Yori let out a sigh, "no you're not! Look, will you just please get into the car?!"

Kyoko slid into the seat and Yori shut it before walking to the driver's side. She rubbed her long fingers on her temple and popped open her bag digging out a small vial of headache pills. She popped one in her mouth and swallowed it, before massaging her temples. "calm down Yori, its only for a little while. Only for a little while. Relax. Her life is the only thing that matters, her happiness is the only thing I care about…and if in the process I can make her miserable…then all the better." She gave a wicked grin, "let's see if I can make naïve, innocent Kyoko…despise and hate her sempai."

As she opened the doors Kyoko gave her a bright smile, blissfully unaware of how cruel Yori was. Her golden eyes danced at Yori and she bowed her head, "I don't know if I said it or not Yori, but thank you for taking care of me." She said as small tears of gratefulness pricked in her eyes.

Yori's heart gave a lurch and a bolt of guilt shot through her. However, she pushed it away and faked a smile, "of course Kyoko."

Kyoko's smile grew wider and she leaned back in the seat. As she did, a wistful smile grew on her face and she giggled. Yori turned to her as she started up the car, "what's so funny?" she asked. Kyoko smiled and turned her head to Yori, "you know, when I was little all I wanted to be was just like you. Strong and confident, and so kind and willing to help others. But I guess I can't."

Yori's heart stopped for a second before she noticed Kyoko's eyes shine with more admiration than she had ever seen before, "you're more kind and strong than I could ever be Yori."

Yori's body froze, her foot slammed on the brake stopping her from colliding with the car that had just pulled out in front of them. While Kyoko both apologized for her making Yori become distracted, and gushed over Yori's quick reflexes for the car; Yori's hands clenched the steering wheel tighter as she bit her lip to keep from crying.

'_kind? Strong? Confident? Shut up! You don't know me at all! Don't thank me! Don't thank me! Hate me! Despise me! I'm a horrible person! Please Kyoko, don't torture me like this anymore!'_

The car pulled out from the parking complex and into the busy streets of Tokyo, the late afternoon sun soon lulled Kyoko into a blissful sleep as Yori focused on the cars that drove just ahead of her, trying to keep from thinking of the words Kyoko had said. She turned on the radio, looking for any white noise to silence the repeating onslaught of Kyoko's words that cut into Yori. She found an American music station and Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" happened to be playing. Yori was never fond of the song, but found her heart clenching more and more as Lady Gaga's lyrics seemed to relate to her…a little too well. The knot deep in her gut twisted with every note and Yori shut off the music before turning to Kyoko, who was still sleeping soundly. Yori noticed a thick strand of hair fall into her face, and Kyoko's nose wrinkled as it tickled her. Yori chuckled and brushed it back, tucking it firmly behind her ear. "You never changed in all these years have you?" she mused.

Then, her heart gave another guilty bolt through her body and she whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I have to be this cruel to you Kyoko. You of all people don't deserve it. I'm being selfish, horrible, and cruel and I know it…what kind of person is that?"

She clenched her hands around the steering wheel tighter and forced herself to look forward as Kyoko began to stir in her sleep. Kyoko's golden eyes slowly fluttered open and a wave of envious anger splashed over Yori's body.

'_those are the eyes. The eyes I would kill to have. The eyes that make me hate her and envy her. Why does she have them?'_

She grit her teeth and swallowed her remarks as Kyoko looked around. Yori watched her innocent gaze flit among the many different cars that lay sandwiched between countless others on the busy Tokyo highway. Yori turned to look at Kyoko and gave a cold smile, "did you have a nice nap? You must be confident in order to have been sleeping rather than studying for the consultation."

She didn't want to make those biting remarks that she knew would hurt Kyoko. She hated whenever that look of self-hate and sadness would quiver in those pools of amber.

As expected, after a momentary pause Kyoko's head rose up and down as she instinctively curled her knees beneath her in a dogeza, pulling the seatbelt taught and sling-shooting her back into the seat rendering her helpless as she struggled like an overturned turtle. Yori watched it all with wide-eyed wonder as she pulled to a red light. She bent her head over the wheel and began to quiver. Kyoko thought she was mad at her and began to apologize profusely before hearing Yori's loud laugh echo inside the small car. She stopped and Yori gave Kyoko a bewildered smile.

"you still know how to make anyone laugh Kyoko. Please fix your seatbelt so you can stay safe." (kids, please do not try this at home)

Kyoko unlatched her seatbelt and fixed it as she sat down normally again and Yori directed her eyes back forward as the light turned. Kyoko clasped her hands in front of her and bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry Yori. I seem to cause nothing but trouble. I know I'm horrible and don't deserve your kindness."

Yori bit her lip as the glimpse of her true motive came across her mind and she managed to force a smile on her face (using her modeling training) and turned to Kyoko, "don't worry about it Kyoko."

The car ride became silent, as both the driver and the passenger each was trapped in their own thoughts. Yori was plagued by a mixture of guilt, anger, and envy as Kyoko's words and Yori's true motive for returning clashed inside her mind. She tried to refocus on the road as she turned her gaze over to Kyoko who was smiling and mumbling to herself. Yori rolled her eyes at her client's childishness before hearing Kyoko whisper softly, "Tsuruga-san."

That brought back a vivid image, of Kyoko's glassy eyes and pleasured smile, and her hugging her sempai. '_she can't fall in love with him. I can't and won't allow that.'_ She swallowed the feelings of guilt, before pressing on the gas to move a little faster as she said softly, "so Kyoko, you never answered my question…what was it that made you so happy?"

Kyoko turned to her friend and the look on her face told Yori she needed to explain. Yori took a deep breath, "well, ever since you were with your _sempai_, you seem to be really happy. I'm curious as to the reason why?"

Kyoko's face lit up as a blush crossed her nose and cheeks and she bowed her head as she replied, "I'm sorry Yori, but I can't tell you."

That answer unnerved Yori. She was scared, terrified and she said even softer, "did you perhaps…learn of his feelings for you?"

Kyoko turned to her, "whose feelings?"

Yori clenched the steering wheel, "Tsuruga-sans."

Kyoko waited a moment before laughing as loud as she could, "Yori! Tsuruga-san couldn't have feelings for me! Think about it, I'm plain, ordinary, unappealing, nothing like a woman he would have feelings for! What are you joking about?"

Yori let out a breath of relief and smiled, "yeah, you're probably right. My fault I had a moment…of brain lapse. Sorry."

Kyoko smiled, "don't worry about it. Happens to everyone."

And with that, the conversation ended, and nothing more was said the entire way to the Victoria's Secret photo-shoot. Yori thought comforting thoughts as she drove, smiling as she thought to herself, '_she still doesn't know. And if I have anything to say about it, it'll stay that way.'_

Meanwhile, Kyoko opened her folder to reread her offer (kids don't do this either) and a sad smile came upon her face, '_he could never have feelings for me. He likes that high school girl, I bet she's really pretty. Besides…a girl like me, can never love.'_

But, even though that sad thought reminisced in her mind, the memory of what had happened in the Love Me room, replayed in Kyoko's mind as she began to once again nod off.

****************************************VS******** ****************************

Flashback

Kyoko was frozen. Her body rigid with shock as Kanae and Yashiro followed Yori out of the Love Me room. All she could think about was Kanae's words about Victoria's Secret. Tears began to fall down her face, "I'm such an idiot. I'm a failure to modest maidens everywhere. What was I thinking?!"

She pounded her head to the ground growling at her idiocy. Even though Yashiro had told her it would be alright, she knew it wouldn't be. "I'm so stupid! Such an idiot!"

From behind her, a deep but soft voice resonated into the room, calling her name and sending both comfort, fear, and nervousness all at once into her stomach…only one person could do that.

"Tsuruga-san?" she called, turning her head around to see the tall man enter into the room. Ren stared at her and quickly rushed to her, kneeling on the ground, "Mogami-san, are you alright? Why are you on the floor?"

Kyoko had to hold in her innate desire to both hug and strangle the beautiful man in front of her, '_how dare he look that handsome to my unsuspecting heart!'_ she pushed it off as surprise and tried to calm her fast-pacing heart as Ren stood over her, a concerned look dancing in his brown eyes. "Mogami-san?" he repeated in that same sultry tone giving her a small heart attack. She threw herself at his feet, knowing that he was the only one who could help her with this.

"Tsuruga-san! Please punish me! Scold me and cut me with your harsh words!" she screamed, tears running down her face. Ren was taken aback and gently placed a hand on her head, giving her the smile that was only reserved for her, "Mogami-san. I can't scold you without a proper reason. What did you do this time to make you think that you deserve to be scolded?"

Kyoko peered up at him with golden eyes and they grew in size and glassy with tears before she cried, "the modeling company I signed with! It's a…" her face turned red with embarrassment before she finished quietly, "fe-female u-underwear store."

If any face could turn redder than Kyoko's was at that moment, it was Ren who had to cover his mouth to hide the blush that was appearing on his face. Gaining control of his emotions he said quietly, "you didn't know that?"

Kyoko thought he was making fun of her and stood up, angry before exclaiming, "I never paid attention to that type of thing in Kyoto! Besides I couldn't afford such expensive stuff!"

Ren, in his relief that Kyoko hadn't agreed to this simply to become famous or something like that, began to laugh before noticing the severe look on Kyoko's face that plainly said, 'this is not funny.' Trying to stifle the laughter he muttered, "I'm not making fun of you Mogami-san." Then he finally regained control and finished, "I'm just glad you're still you."

Kyoko stared at him before narrowing her eyes, "what do you mean? Are you making fun of me?"

Ren laughed and shook his head, "no."

Kyoko nodded before her face contorted back into shock and she exclaimed, "I forgot! Scold me! Scold me now! And scold me for talking back to you! I can't believe I did that! I'm such a disrespectful kouhai!"

Ren shook his head again, "I'm not going to scold you for anything Mogami-san. If you didn't know what Victoria's Secret was, why would I punish you for that?"

Kyoko bowed her head and went into a dogeza, "but- but, I should've researched more about the company I was working with!"

Ren nodded, "yes you should have. But Yori is at fault as well, because she as your manager didn't tell you anything about the job, which is her failure."

Kyoko's eyes widened, "that's the same thing Yashiro told me."

Ren smiled and offered his hand to help her up, "who do you think told me that when this happened to me?"

Kyoko pulled herself up numbly before staring at Ren, "this happened to you?"

Ren nodded, giving her a reassuring smile, "yes. Believe it or not, RMandy was not something I initially wanted to do."

Kyoko's eyes widened, "it wasn't?"

Ren shook his head, "nope. Originally, I wanted to be an actor and nothing more. I had never even heard of RMandy when the offer came to me. Without thinking, I agreed to it. It wasn't until I actually got to the shoot I learned it was a modeling thing. That's when Yashiro told me that it was his fault and took the blame."

Kyoko watched him, eagerly like a child, "what happened next?"

Ren laughed, thinking back on the memory, "well, it took a little while, but I found my niche and began shooting pictures. After that I decided to keep going, even though Yashiro told me I could pull out."

Kyoko thought about that before smiling confidently, "if you could do that, do you think I could make the same thing happen with Victoria's Secret?"

Ren stopped. He knew he had two options here. If he told her to give up, she would, and he could have her all to himself again (whenever she wasn't acting); or, he could tell her to go for it and see how far she could go. He gave a smile and decided to be honest, "I think you could make something amazing with this."

Kyoko smiled and held her head high with confidence…for a few seconds, before her doubts and fears resurrected with a vengeance. "but what about my modesty? If I do this then I might lose myself…I'm scared Tsuruga-san." She admitted quietly.

Ren was a patient person. He really was. He had refrained from doing anything (too serious) with his kouhai for almost a year and a half now. But when she admitted that, something he was sure that she wouldn't say to anyone, he couldn't help himself as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, sitting down with her in his lap. He could feel her trembling in his embrace and knew probably half of it was because he was holding her, and half of it, was because she was really scared of what might happen.

Softly, in her ear he whispered, "don't worry Kyoko. I promise you I won't let that happen. I'll be with you every step of the way so you don't need to be scared. I won't leave you alone with this."

The room was silent for a while, and Ren was scared that he had revealed too much of his feelings and now Kyoko was scared of him, before he heard a soft voice whisper in his chest, "promise?"

Relief flooded through him and he held her closer. It wasn't much to be sure, but it was a start of her trusting him. His heart pounded faster as he held the girl he loved, but he doubted she could even hear it. Kyoko's heart was pounding as well, and the ironic thing? His and hers were so synched, each didn't know the others was pounding just as hard.

***************************************VS********* ****************************

"-Oko? Kyoko? Are you still alive?"

Kyoko's eyes shot open to see Yori hovering over her, looking at her with concern, "are you alright Kyoko?"

Kyoko blushed and nodded before noticing the car wasn't moving, "where are we Yori?"

Yori smiled and brushed aside one of Kyoko's orange locks that had fallen into her face when she was asleep, "this is the Victoria's Secret photo-shoot."

It took Kyoko a second before she leaped up and in a fit of incredible athletic ability, she had jumped from the car, grabbing her bag from the floor and landing firmly on the concrete. Yori was surprised but hid it as she brushed her clients' clothes, "remember Kyoko, you need to be polite but not too formal with these people. Listen to what they say, but don't take their comments to heart, do you understand?"

Kyoko was overwhelmed by the contradictory directions her manager was giving her but nodded, determined to do this right. She was going to make this something amazing, just like Ren had predicted. After all, if her sempai had so much confidence in her, she had to prove it to him it wasn't wasted. She pulled her head high and stood in the proper posture before walking into the small building.

Yori steered her down different halls until they reached a white room with a gold plaque that said, _David Daniels, Victoria's Secret CEO_. Kyoko gulped, not realizing that the image consultant would be the one who offered her the job. She shivered and Yori placed a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her, but even Yori was staring forward with a serious gaze. Kyoko waited before hearing the door open.

The hinges squeaked and her heart jumped as Yori bowed her long black hair falling over her shoulders, "_Konnichiwa, Daniels-san._" Kyoko's heart lurched at the notion of the CEO here, and she bowed her head down low as well speaking as formally as she could, "_Konbawa, Daniels-sama._" The two women waited there for a little bit, and Kyoko was afraid that after taking a look at her, Daniels-sama had decided she wasn't cut out for Victoria's Secret.

Luckily though, after a few minutes, she felt a soft hand on her head, "you don't need to be so formal with me. I'm not that scary of a guy." His voice was as soft and gentle as his hand, and reminded Kyoko of the Presidents. She imagined what kind of man would make Victoria's Secret. She muttered an apology for being so formal, to which Mr. Daniels gave a sigh. Kyoko was scared that she had disappointed him just by talking, before she heard him exasperate, "Yori! Please translate. You know I can't speak or understand Japanese! Honestly, I don't know why they told **me** to come here!"

Kyoko paled. He couldn't understand her? Would he hate her for that? She pulled up her head in a flash, scaring both Yori and David Daniels. "I am sorry for not speaking English Mr. Daniels! Please forgive me!" she shouted in English. She bowed her head in shame and quivered with fear. Would he yell at her, call her stupid, throw her out? Visions of her being tossed out of the building came to mind, oh how Tsuruga-san would be mad at her! He would probably be very disappointed in her, and President might just decide that a failure who can't even love and now can't model isn't needed to waste any more time on them. She was surprised when she heard a laugh. She peeked up to see Mr. Daniels laughing. He was clutching his stomach in pain as he laughed. Yori stared at Kyoko in shock, before turning her attention to Mr. Daniels.

"uhh? Daniels-san?" Yori asked with curiosity. Mr. Daniels saw both girls look at him with concern and stopped laughing then he coughed and turned to Kyoko, "my apologies, Ms. Kyoko. It caught me off guard when you started speaking English, and so fluently as well. Tell me, where did you learn?"

Kyoko bit her lip. If she was honest, the Okami at the Fuwa's Ryokan taught her when she was young, "_some costumers come from different countries. We must know how to communicate with them as well_." She learned by listening and reciting to other people how to speak English. She responded, "I was taught when I was young Mr. Daniels."

Yori was shocked. She never knew Kyoko could speak English so well. '_this will make things much harder…'_ she glanced to the side nervously as David Daniels knelt down with a warm smile.

"Kyoko? Why won't you look up? Do I seem like that scary of a man?"

Kyoko glanced even further down and shook her head, "no sir."

David Daniels smiled and pat her head gently, "then can't you let me look at you? You are our new model right?"

Kyoko nodded and lifted up her head. She was shocked. The man who ran Victoria's Secret should have been gaudy and presumptuous, (maybe even gay) but this man seemed kind. He had warm blue eyes and graying blonde hair that was now turning a bright silver. His face was adorned with wrinkles, but rather than making him look bad; it reminded Kyoko of a grandfather. He was tall and seemed strong, and Kyoko could tell a few years before he was a very beautiful man. '_he looks like an older version of Kuu Otou-san.'_ She thought.

David Daniels smiled as he held a hand to his chin as he appraised his newest model, "hmm, petite. Almost fairy like. Large gold eyes, such a rare color; reminiscent of honey. Your hair, has it always been this short and orange?"

Kyoko shook her head and responded, "no sir. It used to be longer and black. I changed it when I decided to work in showbiz."

David nodded, "let it grow out and dye it back to its original color," he commented and continued his evaluation. Under his magnifying blue eyes, Kyoko felt exposed. Her face turned bright red and David laughed, "don't worry Kyoko. It's just a look over so I can put together a look and character for you. Now let's see, raise your arms a bit." Kyoko did and David smiled, "you have a very small waist. It's like a ballerina; and your chest, well it's smaller than usual, but very cute and noticeable with your short height and petite stature. Your curves are perfectly placed; like a work of art Kyoko! And your skin…its perfectly white and clear."

He looked over at Yori and gave a wink and a smile, "this is a perfect new Angel. A new look that has never been produced by Victoria's Secret." He paused dramatically before framing Kyoko with his hands, his bright blue eyes glittering.

"Rose, the Fairy Princess!"

The words penetrated Kyoko's mind and her heart perked up. Yori gave a groan, "now you did it Daniels." She muttered. Kyoko's eyes grew wide and glittery and she threw herself at Daniels, grabbing him by the shirt. He was shocked; was this the same quiet, shy girl from a moment before? She stared at him, her dark aura growing as her eyes sparkled (giving her a very…demonic look) "are you serious?" she growled. Daniels nodded, as sweat beaded down his old face. Kyoko stared at him for a second more, before her aura became bright. Her face lit up and a huge smile crossed her features.

"THANK YOU MR. DANIELS! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!" she pranced around the room singing it until Yori covered her mouth. She rolled her blue eyes and stared at David Daniels who was biting his lip to keep from laughing.

"thank you for accepting my client Daniels-san. We'll go to the dressing rooms now for the trial shoot."

She ushered Kyoko out to two interns who took the nervous and frightened young girl to the dressing room, conversing with her about how to make her look like a perfect fairy princess. Yori stood to follow when she heard a voice behind her, "I know it's you Lily. No matter how different you look or sinister, you're still the same Lily I know and love."

Yori clenched her fists and turned to sneer at the old man, "careful Daniels, you might start to be known as a child molester if you say things like that."

David Daniels could have been mad, that was a horrible thing to accuse; but instead he laughed, "same old Lily, saying harsh things to keep people from coming close to her."

Yori felt the tips of her ears burn and she retorted, "same old Daniels, talking about people like he's a psychologist."

David nodded, agreeing with her, "my wife can't stand that habit either. But it helps when it comes to my models."

Yori narrowed her eyes, "is that why you made Kyoko a princess?"

David nodded again and laughed, "that and to show you that if you want to deter her from show business by scaring the daylights out of her and destroying her confidence; you'll have to try harder." He stared at her now, his eyes losing the sparkle and his face becoming grim.

"she's a young girl Yori, and if memory serves correctly, she was your best friend right? Why are you doing something like this to her? You're never cruel; sadistic, sarcastic, and cynical, but never cruel. What are you doing?"

Yori bit her lip. How was she supposed to explain her mission? She wasn't allowed to speak of it to anyone. She shook her head and glared at Daniels, "don't try your psycho-analogy tricks on me Daniels. I'm not telling you anything. You care about her so much? Pull her out. Tell her she's horrible. Because I'm warning you, keep her here; and I will do whatever I can to make her life in this company miserable."

Daniels glared at the former model, before his look softened, "no, you won't. You'll try, but those words sounded like they came from someone other than you Yori. You can't hide behind that forever."

Yori glared back at her former employer before her blue eyes softened, "I have to." She opened the door to follow out Kyoko. As she stepped through the door, her back to Daniels she said in a broken voice, "the girl you knew, wanted to work with you forever. But we can't all live in a fantasy. It was time for her to grow up. But for what it's worth…" She turned to him, tears brimming in her blue eyes, "thank you."

And with that, she left.

David smiled and shook his head before calling Lory on his phone. They had met a couple years ago on the "_famous talent company and billionaires cruise"_ and had become fast friends. The phone rang for a little while before a breathless, "hello?" came through on the other end.

"hey Lory, playing with your snake again?"

Lory's indignant scream of calling his baby a mere "snake" was heard and David just rolled his eyes and laughed.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Look I called you to ask you something."

Lory of course, began going on all sorts of rants that David could barely comprehend and left him wondering why such a strange man was so successful in the entertainment. He cut off his friend mid-rant, "look! Lory, did you set up that Love Me Section? You told me about it on the cruise as an idea you had; did you ever put to action?"

Lory began talking exuberantly about his three Love Me girls and how far they had progressed. As he told each passing story, the smile on Daniels' face grew bigger, and bigger. Finally as Lory reached the newest climax, Kyoko performing a dangerous mission that would cause her to face her biggest fear of loving someone; Daniels cut him off. "perfect. I have a question for you Lory. Are you looking for a new Love Me girl?"

"who are we talking about here Daniels? I already told you I can't take any of your models. The uniform is too extreme. If I try, I may get sued!"

Daniels chuckled and turned to his desk where an old, battered folder with a beautiful young girl stared glaring at the camera, "she's not one of my models anymore, but if anyone can show her to let herself love, it's you."

The two love-happy old men continued to scheme.

Yori felt a chill down her spine but disregarded it as she followed down the hallways. She peered at the pictures, where all sort of models smiled down at her. She even smirked when she saw her own picture. She was known as "Lily, the dark Enchantress." Many a man had been put under her spell. She smiled and gently fingered the picture, before noticing someone out of the corner of her eye. In a flash the smile turned grim and she coughed and brushed her hand over her suit, '_get ahold of yourself Yori! That's not you anymore!' _

She continued walking down the hallway at a much brisker pace.

***************************************VS********* ****************************

Kyoko was lost. Not physically, the women had taken her straight to the dressing room where she was to meet with the image consultant and have her first "test photo-shoot"; but mentally, she was lost.

"you're going to love Angel! She's a real teacher and absolutely amazing! She can take care of any new model! You're so lucky! Lily herself worked with Angel! What's your Modeling Name? What agency are you from? What's your specialty?" Kyoko stared wide eyed at the bright green eyes that interrogated her. During the journey down the hallway she learned that they both were models for Victoria's Secret, but they had never told her their names. They just chattered away on their own.

She stood awkwardly between the two of them. She had to question why Daniels would choose her to be his model. Comparing herself to the two that sandwiched her, she hardly looked palpable as a Victoria's Secret Model. The one who asked all the questions had beautiful blonde hair like amber that matched her beautiful green eyes. She was a little more curvy and very tall. Her chest stuck out at least three inches from her body and her legs were well toned and muscular. Her skin was a little tanned but for her body, it worked fantastic. Her face was oval with soft cheeks that had a sprout of freckles. The freckles would show when she showed a bright smile that made her green eyes shine.

The other one was a complete opposite but still just as beautiful. She had soft warm brown eyes and dark skin, that reminded Kyoko of Tiana from "The Princess and the Frog." Her lips were large and painted a beautiful red. Her dark black hair was cut short to her shoulders and teased so she looked very flirty. Her chest was smaller than the other girls but still noticeable. Her body was small and lithe and hardly looked like she was any type of athlete. But still, she was very beautiful.

'_compared to these girls…what can I do?'_ Kyoko thought depressingly. The African American noticed it and nudged the girl beside her who turned to see the girl with a downcast expression.

"you okay honey? Arissa I think you frightened her." The African American scolded her friend. The other girl, Arissa's eyes widened and she took Kyoko's hand, "I'm so sorry! I got so excited when I learned we were getting a new model! Especially when I heard she was a "Princess Typecast," I'm sorry if I scared you!"

Kyoko's eyes widened and she began, "no no, you didn't scare me I just…" she was cut off by Arissa, "oh that's so great! I was so scared that I scared you!"

Kyoko didn't know what to make of the hyper woman. She edged away from her towards the African American who placed a comforting arm around her, "it's okay sweetheart, Arissa's just a little more excited than most. That's why her modeling name is Athena. With her enthusiasm and stature she makes for a great dominatrix."

Kyoko stared at the girl and asked quietly, "and you? Who are you?"

The girl laughed as Arissa began speaking, "Julianna has three names. Her modeling name is Jazz, because of her sultry, soulful personality, but we all call her Mom. "

Mom? Kyoko was very confused now. Julianna laughed, "I tend to take care of most of the girls we work with. That's how they gave me the name Mom. You can call me that too if you want."

Kyoko figured that's what Julianna wanted her to call her, but she couldn't. The minute the syllables for Mom (in either English or Japanese) would approach her lips; images of her abandonment and her mother's cruelty would silence her. She shook her head and bowed it in shame, "I'm sorry I can't Julianna-san."

Julianna was disappointed but shrugged, "don't worry about it. It takes time to readjust. Your name's Kyoko right?"

Kyoko nodded and Arissa smiled, clapping the young girl on the back, "don't worry Kyoko! Things here aren't as bad as people make it out to be."

Before Kyoko had a chance to ask, they had reached the door.

_Victoria's Secret: Model Image Consultant_

Was typed on a piece of paper taped to the door. Kyoko took a gulp and turned to see Julianna and Arissa with an encouraging smile, "you can do it Kyoko. We'll be right here."

That comment, made Kyoko feel a little comfort. Though both girls were odd and strange; they were kind. She opened the door and walked in.

"IT'S THE CIRCLE OF LIFE!" was the first thing that hit her. She stared wide-eyed as a woman with brown hair that curled in ringlets to the middle of her back, sang at the top of her lungs. Her brown eyes were shining as she smiled, her long arms outstretched like an opera singer. Kyoko was dumbfounded as the woman continued to sing with a voice more beautiful than Kyoko had ever heard. As the song finished, Kyoko began clapping, alerting the attention of the woman.

She looked older than Kyoko thought. Her face was adorned with wrinkles in her eyes and mouth, but they were "smiling wrinkles" it was like this woman had never ceased to smile. There were streaks of gray in her brown hair, but it still looked beautiful. Her body was as beautiful as ever, with a small chest and smaller waist. The former model bowed and smiled at the young woman, "thank you. I didn't know I had an audience."

Kyoko blushed and bowed her head, "I'm so sorry! I just love that song and you sang it so perfectly! Forgive me for intruding!" she quivered with fear but was shocked when she heard a tinkling of bells that sounded like a laugh. The woman pat her head gently, "don't worry. I take it as a compliment. You're the new model aren't you? Kyoko right?"

Kyoko nodded and the woman smiled even bigger, "you're the new "Princess" right?"

Kyoko's insides bubbled with excitement. After all the hard and mean roles she was in she was finally a princess! She nodded and the woman clapped her hands together in joy.

"that's so good! I was wondering when they would find a new Princess to replace me!"

Wait what? Kyoko stared at the woman and asked softly, "you were a princess model?"

The woman nodded, "mm-hmm. My name was Belle. But after I retired ten years ago, they changed it to Angel."

Kyoko nodded and gave a smile, "you look a lot like Belle! I see where they gave you your name."

The woman laughed, "I would agree with you, but I didn't get my name because of how I looked."

Kyoko was baffled, "what?"

The woman nodded, "yup. I actually got my name as a joke. They called my husband "the Beast" so of course I had to be Belle the "Beauty". It became a joke within our company."

Kyoko nodded before casting her eyes down to the floor. She studied her white flats that she chose to wear today before feeling a warm hand on her own, "Kyoko? Dear, you don't look so well. You look frightened."

Kyoko bit her lip and shook her head, "I'm alright Belle-san."

Belle cut her off and held up a hand, ""Angel, my dear. Call me Angel or Susan. And you can't fool me Kyoko. I've been dealing with our girls for twenty five years. What's wrong?"

Kyoko sighed and shook her head once more. She had to get over it. It wasn't important anyway. She couldn't afford to cause anyone trouble. Angel glared at her, her brown eyes becoming hard then she sauntered over to the door and clicked the lock, "you'll find Kyoko, not many things bother me. But what I cannot stand; is a girl who lies and says "she's fine" when I know she's not. Do you think of me a fool Kyoko?"

Kyoko paled and threw herself at Angel's feet, "no! I would never do that!"

Angel stared at her, "then what is wrong? Why are you so frightened?"

She helped Kyoko off the floor and Kyoko shuffled her feet, "I just don't know how you all can be so happy. You're in your underwear! How do you all keep smiling? Isn't it infuriating to be used by guys?"

Angel stared at her before smiling gently, "so that's what it is." She said. Kyoko blushed at her outburst and was going to throw herself into another dogeza as an apology for berating their jobs, but she found herself being guided to a couch. Angel sat her down and then sat down on the opposite side, keeping her hand on Kyoko's. "Kyoko. Let me ask you something. What do you think of when you think of women?"

Kyoko had to think. Most women (with the exception of Kanae and Chiori) were boy crazy and always hyped up on the stupidest things. She stared at Angel and said, "they seem dependent, used constantly for men's pleasure, maids." Her eyes darkened as she thought of Sho's words.

Angel nodded, "that's right. That's one of two stereotypes that's usually placed on women. We're either dependent, destitute doormats; or we're strong, independent women that need no one and can make it on our own."

Kyoko nodded. That's the type of woman she wanted to be. One that would make Shotaro suffer for all the wrong doings he had done to her. Angel shook her head, "none of those are correct."

Kyoko was flabbergasted. Angel smiled and continued, "woman is woman. Just like man is man. Women are both independent and highly capable of doing amazing things, but at the same time dependent. We have feelings, we long to be cared for, to be loved."

There it was, that word. Kyoko shuddered and shook her head. Angel's eyes went wide and Kyoko began asking, "but if that's true, why do women get hurt?! Loving someone will only hurt you! It's stupid!"

Angel shook her head, her brown curls bouncing about, "is that what you think? True, sometimes you will get hurt. But that means that that man wasn't right for you."

"not right for _me_?" Kyoko asked.

Angel nodded, "that's right. There's a theory that God made a box inside all of us. In that box, is a heart that yearns to be loved. But. The only one with the key, is the one He's made for you. "

Kyoko felt irritation and embarrassment bubbling inside her. Her devil chibis appeared and chided, "_you know that's not true Kyoko! No one would love someone like you remember?!"_

Kyoko shook her head, "forgive me Angel-san. But I don't think that's true. What does this have to do with being a Victoria's Secret Model?"

Angel knew she was avoiding the topic, but relented and replied, "everything. See, just like the unique box that's made for one person, so too each woman is unique and beautiful in her own way. People think we try to sell women's bodies and make other women uncomfortable with how they look, but the reality is, we can't make anyone feel like that. In actuality, my family, who made and owns this company, designed it so women could feel strong and beautiful. No matter how they looked. My husband decided to take that further and find something special, something unique that is only seen within that one model. That's why we have models of all shapes and sizes. Each woman is beautiful and talented, it just varies how."

Kyoko nodded, her voice was cut off as Angel took her hand gently, "when you came here, did you think you'd have to compete with all the other models? Models like Lily, Jazz, and Athena?"

Kyoko nodded, her face cast down. Angel knelt down and picked her chin up so Kyoko's gold eyes were staring into Angel's soft brown ones. She smiled, "that's not the way it works. A rose is a Rose. Kyoko, be a Rose."

Kyoko understood and nodded before asking shyly, "if you don't mind me asking Angel-san. Who is your husband? How would the company know him?"

Susan smiled and turned around before handing Kyoko a small plaque. On the plaque it said:

_Susan "Belle/Angel" Daniels, COO of Victoria's Secret._

Kyoko's eyes went wide and she bowed in apology for saying such mean things. Angel laughed and shook her head, "don't worry about it. Now come on, let's get you prepped for your shoot!"

All the fear, all the nerves of being a Victoria's Secret Model melted away. Kyoko smiled, her gold eyes shining and nodded. From outside however; down the hall away from the two girls who waited outside, Yori glowered and seethed.

'_put her with Angel? Trying to protect Kyoko that badly Daniels? I can't let her succeed. Kyoko Mogami must leave show business._'

*************************************VS*********** ****************************

So riddle me this, Yori gives Kyoko this job but wants her desperately to fail? What's the game here? Think you know? ;) tell me what you think!

(by the by, everyone calls her Kyoko because in the manga, that's her stage name)

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW, AND I'LL RESPOND RESPOND RESPOND! ^v^

Hope to hear from ya'll soon!

-Kate


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